Zimbabwe's police chief says officers will be prepared to use firearms if the elections on 29 March spark violence like that seen recently in Kenya.

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, an ally of President Mugabe, said the police were 'empowered by law to use full force, including the use of firearms to quell disturbances.'

The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials makes it clear that firearms should only be used

as a last resort and when the circumstances so demand.

Zimbabwe’s Public Order and Security Act allows a police officer to use firearms 'if he finds other methods to be ineffective or inappropriate.'

Last year, on March 11, Zimbabwean police shot dead an unarmed member of the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). According to their own reports, Zimbabwe Republic Police fired warning shots in a rally of 1000 people and then shot dead the father of three. A police squad later arrived at the funeral where they shot and injured

two more activists.

A spokesperson for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said: 'The Police Chief's statement adds to the weight of evidence that human rights violations are sanctioned at the highest level in Zimbabwe. We call upon the international and regional community to hold the government of Zimbabwe accountable for such actions should they occur during or after the elections.'

The International Bar Association has also expressed concern about the Police Commissioner's statement.