Zimbabwe says suspends work by all aid groups

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's government said on Thursday it had indefinitely suspended all work by aid groups and non-governmental organizations, accusing a number of breaching their terms of registration.

The suspension comes nearly a week after President Robert Mugabe's government banned some aid groups from distributing food, accusing them of campaigning for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in elections held on March 29.

"It has hereby come to my attention that a number of NGOs involved in humanitarian operations are breaching the terms and conditions of their registration ... I hereby instruct all PVOs (Private Voluntary Organisations)/NGOs to suspend all field operations until further notice," read a notice, written by Nicholas Goche, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, to the groups.

Goche refused to comment when contacted by Reuters.

On Wednesday, U.S.-based group Human Rights Watch said Mugabe's government was using food as a weapon ahead of Zimbabwe's June 27 presidential run-off election.

Zimbabwean police detained U.S. and British diplomats for several hours on Thursday after they visited victims of political violence ahead of the presidential vote.

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Janet Lawrence)