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| Tsvangirai detained in Zimbabwe | Tsvangirai detained in Zimbabwe |
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| Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been detained by police during campaigning for the country's presidential election, his party says. | Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been detained by police during campaigning for the country's presidential election, his party says. |
| A convoy carrying the Movement for Democratic Change leader was stopped at a police roadblock at 1000 GMT, party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said. | |
| The MDC leader and his entourage were taken to a police station in the far west of the country, said Mr Chamisa. | |
| "It appears they want to disrupt our campaign programme," he said. | "It appears they want to disrupt our campaign programme," he said. |
| It comes as Zimbabwe prepares for a run-off election between Mr Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe on 27 June. | It comes as Zimbabwe prepares for a run-off election between Mr Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe on 27 June. |
| 'Illegal detention' | |
| Mr Chamisa said police stopped Mr Tsvangirai and his entourage while they were driving to a rally as part of his presidential campaign. | |
| The people will not stop supporting the MDC and together we will defeat this illegitimate and desperate regime Morgan Tsvangirai | |
| The entire group - including the party's vice-president, national chairman and security personnel - are currently being "illegally detained" at the police charge office in Lupane, he said. | |
| Mr Chamisa called for Mr Tsvangirai's immediate release, adding that without the intervention of the United Nations and the international community it would be impossible to hold free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. | Mr Chamisa called for Mr Tsvangirai's immediate release, adding that without the intervention of the United Nations and the international community it would be impossible to hold free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. |
| MDC campaigning efforts have been severely hampered, with four politicians being arrested in the run-up to this month's election. | |
| The party says 58 of its supporters have been killed by pro-government henchmen since March's national elections. | |
| Rome summit | |
| Speaking in Bulawayo on Tuesday, Mr Tsvangirai said: "Mugabe is determined to turn the whole country into a war zone in order to subvert the will of the people and steal the June 27 election by any means possible. | |
| "But we will not stop campaigning, the people will not stop supporting the MDC and together we will defeat this illegitimate and desperate regime." | |
| The Zimbabwean government has also come under criticism for restricting the work of aid agencies operating in the country. | The Zimbabwean government has also come under criticism for restricting the work of aid agencies operating in the country. |
| The operations of one of the largest groups - Care International - have been suspended amid allegations the group had been campaigning for the opposition. | The operations of one of the largest groups - Care International - have been suspended amid allegations the group had been campaigning for the opposition. |
| Care denies that it "has encouraged or tolerated any political activity". | Care denies that it "has encouraged or tolerated any political activity". |
| Mr Mugabe is currently attending a UN-sponsored summit on the global food crisis in Rome, where he blamed Western sanctions for Zimbabwe's economic woes. |