afrol News, 5 June - Zimbabwean police have attacked diplomats of the United States and Britain as they attempted to investigate the country's ongoing political violence.

The officials from the United States and UK embassies were detained at a roadblock in the rural areas, 50 miles North of the capital Harare. The diplomats - five Americans, four Britons and two Zimbabweans - have been held for five hours.

The arrest and detention followed after the police found diplomats meeting at a building in the provinces where the arrival of of the ruling Zanu-PF members led to tensions. The diplomats were refused permission to leave, leaving them with no alternatives other than jumping into their vehicles and forced their way out.

Security agents were accused of slashing the tyres of the US embassy vehicle before beating up a local driver with the embassy. This happened after the convoy had refused to go to a police station.

An intense diplomatic pressure is being piled on Zimbabwean authorities to release the detained diplomats. This is the second in recent months, the last being the brief detention of the US Ambassador James McGee and diplomats from five other missions in Zimbabwe last month.

Mr McGee who confirmed the story said that the police put up a roadblock, stopped the vehicles, slashed the tyres and seized telephones from the US convoy. He said the war veterans also threatened to burn the convoy unless they got out and accompanied police to a nearby station.

Attacks on diplomat preceded the arrest of the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday. He was released after President Thabo Mbeki, the mediator of the Zimbabwean crisis, had spoken to the relevant authorities.

It is unclear as to whether the diplomats' mistreatment has been linked to a statement by the British government, accusing President Mugabe of harbouring "callous disregard" for the well-being of Zimbabweans by halting the operations of three foreign aid charities. Mr Mugabe believed that some aid agencies operating in his country were set up by the West to channel funds to opposition parties.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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