EPA

Guinea’s president, who is the current head of the African Union (AU), has reiterated his view that the continental body “will never accept the military coup” in Zimbabwe, the AFP news agency quotes him as saying.

We demand respect for the constitution, a return to the constitutional order and we will never accept the military coup.

We know there are internal problems. They need to be resolved politically by the Zanu-PF party and not with an intervention by the army.”

He seems to be taking a harder line than the AU commission, which in a statement last night called for the crisis to be resolved “in a manner that promotes democracy and human rights” – but did not refer to the situation as a coup.

The generals who have taken power insist it is not a coup and that they are just dealing with “criminal elements” surrounding President Robert Mugabe.

Mr Conde became president of Guinea in 2010 after a lifelong battle against a series of despotic and military regimes which sent him into exile and prison.

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Political commentator George Shire, a UK-based loyalist of President Robert Mugabe, has told the BBC’s Today programme that unlike Zimbabwe’s disputed presidential election in 2008, what is happening now is not a challenge to the governing Zanu-PF party:

This is musical chairs inside Zanu-PF. This has been about a power struggle within the party. Zanu-PF is still the party of government, it will continue to be so until the next election.

People who are talking about the ‘transition’ still think that you can have a return to 2008. It’s not going to happen, even if you wish it so.

The long-time Zanu-PF supporter added:

This is not about Robert Mugabe. If you think about it in relation to Robert Mugabe you miss the story. The issue is about what the power struggle inside Zanu has been about.”

AFP/REUTERS/EPA

As mediation efforts take place to try to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe – here’s a look at the key players:

• Grace Mugabe, Robert’s second wife and more than 40 years his junior, has risen from presidential typist to the most powerful woman in Zimbabwe
• Supporters point to her charitable and philanthropic work and refer to her as “Dr Amai”, meaning “mother”, but her critics accuse her of pursuing a ruthless campaign for wealth and power
• Her many domestic business interests include a dairy farm estate outside Harare.

• Emmerson Mnangagwa was, until Mrs Mugabe’s rise, viewed for several years as President Mugabe’s anointed successor
• He is known in Zimbabwe as “ngwena” or “crocodile” (and his supporters as “Lacoste”) because of his political cunning
• As a former defence and national security minister among others, he was a key link between the ruling party and Zimbabwe’s military and intelligence agencies. He is also chair of the Joint Operations Command, in charge of state security.

• Gen Constantino Chiwenga is close ally of Mr Mnangagwa and has led Zimbabwe’s national army since 1994
• Both men are products of the country’s independence struggles, and Gen Chiwenga trained with the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army in Mozambique and later rising through its ranks. In 2003, he was promoted to commander general of the Zimbabwe combined armed forces
• He shocked Zimbabweans on Monday when he issued an open warning against those responsible for “purging” the ruling party of those who shared his roots in the country’s struggles against colonialism, saying the military could step in.

The military takeover was provoked by splits within the ruling party over who should succeed 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe – as our colleagues at BBC Newsnight explain in this short video:

South African cartoonist Sifiso Yalo has tweeted his take on President Robert Mugabe’s predicament, referencing his call with South African leader Jacob Zuma.

Mr Zuma has sent two senior envoys to the country to try and negotiate an end to the crisis:

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East Africa’s best-known cartoonist, Gado, reflects that the army’s takeover has been aimed at stemming the political ambitions of Grace Mugabe, who wanted to become vice-president:

View image on Twitter

Gado Cartoons @iGaddo

Zimbabwean media mogul Trevor Ncube has just been tweeting his insights into the negotiations going on between the Mugabes and the military.

He confirms that the Catholic cleric Fidelis Mukonori is taking part in the mediation efforts (see earlier entry), but says there some points on which President Robert Mugabe is refusing to budge: