Image source, AFP

China is Zimbabwe's biggest trading partner, and has stood with the country in the face of western economic sanctions.

Just last week, Gen Constantino Chiwenga - who warned the army was prepared to act to end purges within the ruling Zanu-PF party on Monday - visited Beijing for what China has today stressed was a "normal military exchange".

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang added:

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has called for calm, peace and respect in the wake of the military takeover in Zimbabwe, his spokesman said on Twitter.

The president has also urged all political and military stakeholders in Zimbabwe to avoid any action that may plunge the country into unnecessary conflict and impact negatively on the region.

His statement was tweeted by spokesman Garba Shehu:

The ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe is the main story being discussed on Twitter in Africa, according to Trendsmap.

Various topics related to the military takeover are being discussed on the platform.

People are using several hashtags to comment on the story, but the most popular are #Mugabe and #Zimbabwe.

Image source, Trendsmap

BBC World Service

The podcast from BBC World Service includes a statement from President Jacob Zuma of South Africa on President Robert Mugabe's confinement and an assessment on the situation from BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Unconstitutional changes of government are neither accepted or recognised by either the African Union or regional Southern African Development Community (Sadc), a South African government spokesman has said.

Clayson Monyela told Johannesburg’s SAfm Radio, external:

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is currently the head of the 15-member organisation, which was established in 1992.

Mr Monyela also advised South Africans in Zimbabwe to "maintain regular contact" with the embassy, but said they could go about their regular business as long as they "exercise caution".

Kim Chakanetsa
BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

That was the line that stood out in Maj Gen Sibusiso Moyo’s prepared statement on Zimbabwe’s national broadcasting channel ZBC this morning.

Gen Moyo was keen to emphasise that this was not a coup.

So why does that matter?

The African Union (AU) and the regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), do not look favourably on coups.

We saw it with Burkina Faso in 2015 when the AU suspended Burkina Faso and slapped sanctions on the coup leaders who tried to seize power a year after the popular uprising against long-time ruler Blaise Compaore.

It is not surprising then that the army has been at pains at trying to retain the appearance of civilian authority.

Already, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma on behalf of Sadc has issued a diplomatically worded statement which makes it clear that the region will not support power being seized forcibly.

This is likely to dictate the language around what happens in Zimbabwe next.

Image source, AFP

Harare resident Denissa Moyannahas told the BBC that she travelled into the city centre, known as the central business district (CBD), from her home in the upmarket suburb of Borrowdale this morning:

The atmosphere in the Zimbabwean capital is reported to be calm.

Image source, AFP/Reuters/EPA

A struggle for dominance in Zimbabwe's ruling party appears to have finally spilled out of Zanu-PF headquarters and on to the street.

But who are the people at the centre of this fight?

Here is a quick guide to the four people taking a leading role in Zimbabwe's crisis.

Kenya-based cartoonist Victor Ndula is among those trying to work out when a coup is not a coup (see earlier post).

Take a look at his take on the Zimbabwe crisis for Kenya's Star newspaper:

A cartoonist in South Africa takes a similar line:

Image source, AFP

The British Foreign Secretary says it is "crucial" for Zimbabweans to refrain from violence.

Boris Johnson, who will take urgent questions on the issue at parliament today, said:

The Conservative party politician has made no secret of his feelings about Robert Mugabe's tenure as president of Zimbabwe in the past.

Two years ago, in a column for the UK's Daily Telegraph, external, he called the extravagant birthday celebrations for the then 91-year-old "utterly nauseating" when taking into consideration the country's widespread poverty.

Image source, AFP

The Zimbabwean army insists last night's takeover was not a coup - but how would you know?

After all, the number one rule of coups is generally, no-one says it is actually a coup.

So the BBC has put together a handy guide to help you figure it out:How can you tell if a coup is happening?

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has called for calm in Zimbabwe on behalf of the regional block, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

Watch his broadcast here:

BBC World Service

BBC Africa's Nick Ericsson says there have been two factions within Zanu-PF tussling for control of the ruling party.

One has been backing Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sacked as vice-president last week, and is mainly comprised of older members who fought during the liberation war.

The other, known as G40, is made up of younger party members backing First Lady Grace Mugabe in the battle to succeed 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe.

Listen to his full interview:

The European Union has called for a "peaceful resolution" to the crisis in Zimbabwe following the military takeover.

A spokesperson said:

Image source, Fadzayi Mahere

A lawyer in the capital, Harare, has tweeted a photo , externalshowing a group of police sitting in a line on the ground, while a number of soldiers look on.

Fadzayi Mahere, who is hoping to be an MP in Mount Pleasant, Harare, took the picture from her office window today.

It is not known what happened to the officers, or why they had been grouped together in such a way.

Simon Thomas, the acting ambassador in Harare, had these words for British nationals in Zimbabwe:

The embassy is closed to the public today due to the unfolding situation.

Robert Mugabe must be "recalled" as president of Zimbabwe and leader of the ruling Zanu-PF party, the secretary general of Zimbabwe's war veterans association has said.

Victor Matemadanda called for his removal after accusing Mr Mugabe and his wife Grace of "denigrating the military and the war veterans" during a press conference on Wednesday, according to Zimbabwean news outlet @263Chat.

He also urged the government to consider veterans "as the fourth wing of the party", as he praised the army's actions.

According to @263Chat, which has been live tweeting from the news conference, he also called on all sides for their support.

Last year, Mr Matemadanda and several other leading war veterans were expelled from Zanu-PF for withdrawing their support for Mr Mugabe, accusing him of dictatorial tendencies, egocentrism and misrule.

Up until then, the war veterans had played a key and sometimes violent role in supporting President Mugabe and were his former comrades in the liberation struggle of the 1970s.

Find out about the man who has dominated Zimbabwe since the country's independence in 1980:

• 1924: Born
• Trained as a teacher
• Worked in Ghana where he met his first wife Sally Hafron

Image source, Getty Images

• 1964: Imprisoned by Rhodesian government
• 1980: Wins post-independence elections
• 1996: Marries Grace Marufu
• 2000: Loses referendum on presidential powers and white-owned land
• 2008: Comes second in first round of elections to Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader who pulls out of run-off amid attacks on his supporters
• 2009: Amid economic collapse, swears in Tsvangirai as prime minister
• 2016: Bond notes introduced as cash shortage worsens
• 2017: Sacks long-time ally Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Read more: Revolutionary hero, or man who wrecked Zimbabwe?

Image source, AFP

Nick Mangwana, a Zanu-PF representative in the UK, has told the BBC’s World Update programme that he has also received reports that First Lady Grace Mugabe is no longer in the country. Earlier an opposition politician said she had fled to Namibia.

But Mr Mangwana said that in terms of Zanu-PF politics, Mrs Mugabe was now an insignificant player, adding that she was a “junior member of the party” and only had power by virtue of being President Robert Mugabe’s wife.

The first lady had been angling to become vice-president, and now she was out of the way Zanu-PF could hold a party congress without any interference, he said.

He admitted it was not normal for the army to take power in a democracy, but he said there had been nothing normal about the situation in Zimbabwe.

But he said officially President Mugabe was still in charge as the military had not suspended the constitution and the country still had civilian government.

He said the president even chaired the cabinet as normal yesterday.

Joseph Winter
BBC News website Africa editor

Image source, AFP

This is all about the leadership succession, as President Robert Mugabe's powers finally falter.

The people who fought in the 1970s guerrilla war against white-minority rule still dominate Zimbabwe's government and especially its security forces, and they are worried about losing that power and the wealth it generates.

In his statement on Monday, army chief Gen Constantino Chiwenga warned against the "purging, which is clearly targeting members of the party with a liberation background".

This was obviously a reference to the sacking last week of Mr Mugabe's once loyal deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former defence minister, spy chief and veteran of the war of independence.

He and First Lady Grace Mugabe, who is four decades younger than her husband, had been seen as the main candidates to succeed Mr Mugabe.

Mrs Mugabe's supporters are known as Generation 40 or G40 - a name which signals a changing of the guard in Zimbabwe, at least partially, 37 years after independence.

So this military action is the old guard reasserting its authority.

Mr Mugabe was the political leader of the guerrilla war so the army always professed loyalty to him until he explicitly came out in favour of his wife.