Zimbabwe election: Troops must stop violence against protesters, Britain demands
Tensions rise in the capital, Harare, as residents and visitors are warned to stay away from central areas.
Thursday 2 August 2018 17:54, UK
Zimbabwean soldiers deployed to counter political protests in the capital must be removed, Britain has demanded.
Catriona Laing, the UK's ambassador to Zimbabwe, condemned an "excessive use of force" by troops after the first presidential election there since Robert Mugabe's downfall.
She claimed to have met government ministers and made clear her call for the soldiers to return to their barracks.
The US embassy has also urged citizens in Harare to stay away from the central business district due to demonstrations and reports of gunshots.
Two shopkeepers earlier said they were ordered by soldiers to close and leave the city centre.
It comes a day after three people were killed when troops were sent in to disperse crowds of opposition supporters.
Water cannon and tear gas has been used against some protesters.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over in November but appears to have won his first election, has blamed the opposition for the violent scenes.
He claimed Nelson Chamisa, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was responsible for the "disturbance of national peace" meant to "disrupt the electoral process".
The MDC said the army had opened fire "for no apparent reason," killing unarmed civilians.
International observers have cast doubt on the validity of the poll, with the EU saying it was an "un-level playing field".
The Commonwealth of Nations urged authorities to publish the full results as soon as possible to stem more violence.
A spokesperson for the Zimbabwean electoral commission confirmed the results would begin being announced from 10pm local time, 9pm BST.
Mr Chamisa has claimed the delay shows he is the real winner of the election, urging his supporters to be calm and await "massive celebrations" for his victory.