Zimbabwe: although the presidential election (held on 9-10 March) is now over, there is still considerable political tension in both urban and rural areas of Zimbabwe. There have continued to be incidents of political violence, which have resulted in serious injury and deaths. We advise all British Nationals in Zimbabwe at this time to keep a low political profile, and to avoid unnecessary travel. Because of current uncertainty in the security situation, we advise against independent travel (particularly backpacking), and strongly recommend that visitors should travel with organised tour operators.

Following the decision by EU Ministers on 18 February to impose targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe; we also cannot exclude the possibility that visitors from EU countries may become political targets. The leaders of the ruling party regularly single out Britain for fierce criticism, alleging British interference in Zimbabwe's internal affairs. British travellers may therefore be exposed to particular risk.

We strongly advise all British visitors to take up-to-date advice from local contacts about any places that you plan to visit. It is possible that you could inadvertently be caught up in disturbances. It is difficult to predict when and where these may occur, and visitors should be alert to signs of trouble and avoid political rallies or similar events. In the event that visitors become aware of a demonstration or disturbance they should try to leave the area as quickly as possible.

Source: www.fco.gov.uk/