Zimbabwean police arrested opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai for the second time in a week, preventing him from attending a campaign rally for the upcoming presidential run-off vote on June 27. The Movement for Democratic Change believes that President Robert Mugabe is trying to hinder Tsvangirai's campaign to maintain his long-standing grip on power. Tsvangirai was released from police custody in Esigodini, located 40 km southeast of Bulawayo, a few hours after being detained at a roadblock. The opposition party condemned his detention as a desperate and disgraceful move by the regime. They called on the government to allow Tsvangirai to fulfill the mandate given to him by the people of Zimbabwe to restore their dignity. It was reported that the police had prohibited several planned campaign rallies due to concerns about the safety of party leaders. The organization stated that it would take legal action to prevent police interference in the campaign. Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena attributed the incident on Friday to the opposition, claiming that the MDC convoy had broken through a roadblock. Tsvangirai, who defeated Mugabe in a March 29 election but did not secure the majority needed to avoid a second round, was detained and questioned by police for eight hours on Wednesday. On Thursday, police detained and questioned five U.S. and two British diplomats for several hours after they visited victims of political violence. Additionally, Zimbabwe has prohibited relief agencies from operating in the country, leading to economic hardship. US Ambassador James McGee, who was detained on Thursday, accused the government on Friday of using food aid as a means to gain votes. He stated that the regime is desperate and will resort to any means to remain in power. The US and Britain have attributed the detention of the diplomats to Mugabe's government and claim that Zimbabwe is attempting to intimidate supporters of Tsvangirai. The foreign ministry of France expressed deep concern on Friday over the atmosphere of intimidation and violence in Zimbabwe. The opposition claims that 65 people have been killed in violence following the first round of voting. Mugabe has accused his opponents of instigating the violence. In response, Mugabe's government halted the operations of all international aid organizations in the country, alleging that some were supporting the opposition. Both Britain and the European Union have called for the ban on aid agencies to be lifted. U.N. officials expressed concern that the suspension of aid would lead to increased suffering, while CARE warned that millions of aid-dependent Zimbabweans were in jeopardy. EU aid commissioner Louis Michel expressed distress over the uncertain future faced by hundreds of thousands of people who rely on aid from the European Commission and other organizations for survival. Zimbabwe, previously one of Africa's most prosperous nations, has experienced a decline in food production since 2000 when Mugabe's government initiated a land redistribution program by seizing white-owned farms. This has resulted in chronic food shortages, forcing the country to depend on handouts and imports to feed its population. Mugabe attributes the downfall of Zimbabwe's previously thriving economy to sanctions imposed by Western nations. The opposition, on the other hand, believes that he destroyed the country through poor management. The Southern African Development Community, which consists of 14 countries including Zimbabwe, will be sending observers to oversee the upcoming run-off election.