Mugabe forces march in Zimbabwe capital

HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 4 (UPI) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe sent more than 400 of his fiercest shock-troops to march on the capital streets as his party struggled to keep him in power.

Mugabe -- opposition leaders claim he lost last week's presidential race against Morgan Tsvangirai -- sent his so-called war veterans to march silently Friday through the streets of Harare in a show of force that has raised fears that the leader may be willing to resort to a violent struggle to retain the presidency, The Times of London reported Friday.

The troops told the media after the march that they are prepared to "defend the country's sovereignty" against a takeover by the opposition party.

"The election has been seen as a way to reopen the invasion of our people by whites," said Jabulani Sibanda, leader of the troops.

Tsvangirai's MDC party claims Mugabe lost last week's election, which is also believed to have unseated many members of Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front party in the country's parliament. However, the government has withheld official results from the voting and one senior member of the president's party said the election ended in a "stalemate," the BBC reported.

The ruling party endorsed Mugabe's bid for a run-off election against the challenger.