Zimbabwe military in talks with Mugabe over a possible exit

Zimbabwe's military says it is making "significant progress" in talks with President Robert Mugabe for his departure while it pursues and arrests some allies of the leader and his wife.

According to the military, talks with Mugabe were continuing, reports state-run Herald newspaper and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.

Zimbabwe's military is "currently engaging with the Commander-in-Chief President Robert Mugabe on the way forward and will advise the nation of the outcome as soon as possible," the statement said.

Significant progress has been made in their operation to weed out criminals around President Mugabe," it said, adding that the military had already arrested some although others remained at large. Those sought had been "committing crimes that were causing social and economic suffering in Zimbabwe.

The military is seeking Cabinet ministers and other top officials who had been associates of first lady Grace Mugabe, part of a clique dubbed the G40 because many were in their 40s and 50s. They are of a different generation from the one that fought for independence from white minority rule.

Army troops and armoured vehicles continued to patrol the capital, Harare, as Zimbabweans went about their daily business said the report.

The military has had Mugabe under house arrest since late Tuesday, and taking pains to show respect for the 93-year-old leader, who is the world's oldest head of state, by referring to him as the president and the commander-in-chief.

The ongoing negotiations appear to be trying to get Mugabe to agree to hand over to a new government. But difficulties could include the timing.

Mugabe last week had his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa fired with many fearing that such move was carried out to clear the way for Grace Mugabe whose rapid political rise had alarmed so many people to become the next president, a move which many believes set off  the military's moves.