Zimbabwean police have released opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after he was detained while on the campaign trail for the country's run-off presidential election, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said.

"The (MDC) president has just been released but instructed to go back to Bulawayo, instead of proceeding with the campaign. The police say the instruction came from the top," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.

Tsvangirai was detained for about two hours at a police station in Esigodini, 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city.

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