ZIMBABWE:Zimbabwean opposition group the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said yesterday that up to 200 of its members arrested at party headquarters over the weekend had been released without charge.
Police stormed the building in Harare on Saturday, rounding up youth activists who were accused of being involved with "a criminal bombing campaign".
A spokesman for the MDC said the allegations were unfounded, however.
Accusing the government of trying to intimidate the opposition ahead of planned elections next year, he said some of those arrested alleged that they had been assaulted by police.
The latest security clampdown comes amid faltering attempts by South African president Thabo Mbeki to start negotiations between Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe and the MDC.
Mr Mbeki was appointed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to act as mediator in the dispute after the brutal attack on the MDC's leadership last March.
The proposed talks have failed to get off the ground - in part due to Mr Mugabe's insistence on the MDC first recognising the outcome of the controversial 2002 elections.
Mr Mbeki, who has been widely criticised for his policy of "quiet diplomacy" over Zimbabwe, has been accused of backing Mr Mugabe's stance, and of placing "unfair" preconditions on the opposition party.
The South African president is expected to be quizzed on the matter by Tony Blair this week during a visit by the British prime minister to Pretoria.
Along with the Zimbabwe crisis, the two men are set to discuss development issues and a proposed Africa-focused foundation that Mr Blair reportedly plans to establish upon leaving Downing Street next month.
The latest attack on Mr Mbeki's diplomatic manoeuvring came from Joe Seremane, chairman of South African opposition party the Democratic Alliance.
He said Mr Mbeki was "asking the opposition (MDC) to denounce violence," while placing no similar condition on the Zimbabwean government.
"What Zimbabwe needs so desperately is an even-handed approach by its mediator, president Mbeki," said Mr Seremane.
A presidential spokesman said dialogue was continuing between relevant parties but, as a policy, no details were being made available.
Saturday's raid on the MDC's offices came a day after Zimbabwe extended a ban on political protests in Harare.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said: "Our position remains that this is a campaign to destroy us before the elections, and that the so-called MDC violence is being stage-managed by the government to justify this crackdown."