Zimbabwe police say they "rescued US diplomats from mob" (Roundup)

Jun 5, 2008, 16:52 GMT

Johannesburg/Harare - Zimbabwe's police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena claimed Thursday that police tried to protect a group of United States diplomats from 'a mob' after theirs and a British diplomatic convoy were attacked by security forces and militia north of Harare.

The three US diplomats and four British officials were investigating reports of violence in rural areas when they were detained for several hours by armed police, soldiers and ruling party militiamen who threatened to assault them and burn them alive in their cars unless they got out of the vehicles, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee told CNN.

All had been freed by Thursday evening after Zimbabwe's foreign ministry sent representatives to the area to mediate in the standoff, CNN reported.

Britain's government in a statement confirmed its nationals were no longer being held. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he hoped the incident did not point to increased state intimidation in the run-up to Zimbabwe's presidential run-off election on June 27.

Speaking to CNN, US Ambassador James McGee, who was not in the convoy, vowed 'a very, very strong response.'

'Zimbabwe has become a lawless country,' he said, blasting the intimidatory tactics as 'grossly illegal.'

The vehicles were halted at a roadblock about 60 kilometres from Harare, on their way back from visiting the Bindura area about 80 kilometres north-east of the city.

'Police stopped them. Then war veterans and soldiers arrived, carrying arms. They were brandishing weapons and shouting at the party that they were trying to 'carry out regime change' against Mugabe,' a diplomatic source said.

The Zimbabwean driver of the American vehicle was pulled out and assaulted, the source said, and the vehicles' path was blocked by a trap of spikes. Armed men slashed the US vehicle's tyres.

Bvudzijena claimed on national radio police had 'rescued' the diplomats from a 'mob'.

The incident was the second time since May 13 that Zimbabwe security forces have detained Western diplomats investigating reports of violence by supporters of President Robert Mugabe against supporters of Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The MDC says over 60 of its supporters have been killed in pro- Mugabe militia attacks since March 29 elections, in which the MDC inflicted its first ever defeat on Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

Mugabe, who is still locked in a bitter battle with Tsvangirai for the presidency after neither won an outright majority in March voting, has recently intensified his anti-British and anti-US rhetoric, threatening to expel the US ambassador for supporting the MDC.

The state has also ratcheted up pressure on the MDC, detaining Tsvangirai for around nine hours Wednesday for questioning before releasing him without charge.

Tsvangirai was released after South African President Thabo Mbeki intervened on his behalf, Mbeki's office said Thursday.

'Upon being informed by the MDC of the arrest of its leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangarai, in Lupane, Zimbabwe yesterday, SADC (Southern African Development Community) Facilitator, President Thabo Mbeki, immediately contacted the government of the Republic of Zimbabwe to ascertain the circumstances of the arrest,' the statement said.

Mbeki, whose mediation the MDC has criticized as biased in favour of Mugabe, had also urged the government 'to do everything possible' to ensure the election was free and fair, the statement added.