The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States have expressed concern about the deepening post-election violence in Zimbabwe. The UK has voiced its worries about the “disproportionate response from the security forces.” The country’s minister for Africa, Harriet Baldwin, tweeted on Wednesday:

Deeply concerned by today's violence in #Harare. Call on Zimbabwe's political leaders to take responsibility for ensuring calm & restraint at this critical moment. We're monitoring the situation closely. British nationals in Harare should check @FCOtravel #ZimbabweElections2018

— Harriett Baldwin MP (@hbaldwin) August 1, 2018

The United States of America (USA) has also joined its voice to that of the UK. It has gone a step further, stating that “it was reviewing Zimbabwe’s election results and called on political leaders to “show magnanimity in victory and graciousness in defeat” after the opposition disputed whether President Emmerson Mnangagwa had won the vote”

Following the general elections of 30 July 2018 the country erupted into violence as defence and security forces met with brutish forces supporters of the opposition MDC Alliance who took to the streets to protest suspected rigging.

The UK is the former colonial master. The pattern on the African continent is for former colonial masters to somewhat front-run international oversight of the internal affairs of their respective ex-colonies. The UK and US slammed major sanctions on the Mugabe regime following legitimate yet catastrophic land reforms that were accelerated in 2005.