Zimbabwe army told region it's not a coup - African Union chair

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's military has told regional leaders its move to seize power from President Robert Mugabe was not a coup,the head of the African Union commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said on Wednesday.

Faki, on a visit to Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said he had not spoken to Mugabe but added: "The military have reassured us this is not a coup d'etat. The African Union is against any unconstitutional change of government."

Zimbabwe's military seized power early on Wednesday saying it was targeting "criminals" around Mugabe, 93, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by James Dalgleish)