Troops 'must back Mugabe or quit'

Gen Chedondo said troops were being deployed to help control violence

Zimbabwe's army chief has told soldiers they must leave the military if they do not vote for incumbent President Robert Mugabe in next month's run-off poll.

Chief-of-staff Maj Gen Martin Chedondo said soldiers had signed up to protect Mr Mugabe's principles of defending the revolution, state media reported.

"If you have other thoughts, then you should remove that uniform," he said.

Gen Chedondo was speaking at a target-shooting competition outside Harare, the Herald newspaper reported.

Zimbabwe's generals have in the past vowed never to support the main opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, if he is elected in the 27 June run-off election.

'Imperialist influence'

"Soldiers are not apolitical; only mercenaries are apolitical," said the general. "We should therefore stand behind our commander-in-chief."

Mr Tsvangirai (L) has been stepping up his campaign to defeat Mr Mugabe

He said the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was being supported by Britain and its Western allies in a bid to regain "imperialist" influence in Zimbabwe.

Earlier, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa accused the intelligence services of the UK and the US of acting as a sinister third force to undermine the ruling party's revolution.

He said an opposition victory in the run-off vote would reverse the gains of the revolution and destabilise the country.

Conflict veterans

Gen Chedondo said troops were being deployed across the nation to help police control political violence before the presidential election second round.

The army denies reports by human rights groups that soldiers have been involved in instigating attacks on government opponents since the first round of voting on 29 March, which saw no overall winner emerge.

The MDC says more than 50 of its members have been killed and thousands more forced to flee their homes since the first round.

Most of Zimbabwe's generals are veterans of the conflict that led to independence in 1980.