Mugabe OK with power-sharing
2008-07-01 22:34
Special Report
A new team of SA mediators have held their first talks with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe in a fresh bid to ease tensions within the strained unity government, a report says.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says he doesn't expect the US sanctions on his country to be lifted soon.
Sharm El-Sheikh - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe did not object to an African Union resolution on Tuesday that called for a power-sharing deal with the opposition, Egypt's foreign ministry said.
"We didn't hear Zimbabwe say 'no' to the resolution. They did not object to the resolution," ministry spokesperson Hossam Zaki told reporters in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where African leaders wound up a two-day summit.
"Mugabe didn't leave before the resolution was adopted. He said there is an ongoing dialogue with MDC as we were speaking," he said.
The AU summit adopted a resolution calling for dialogue between Mugabe and the Democratic Movement for Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, and the creation of a national unity government.
The AU agreed "to encourage" Mugabe and Tsvangirai "to initiate dialogue with a view to promoting peace, stability", the official said, requesting anonymity.
It also decided "to support the call for the creation of a government of national unity, to support SADC (Southern African Development Community) facilitation".
The SADC regional body has been leading mediation efforts.
Mugabe won a widely discredited run-off election on Friday that was marred by violence which led Tsvangirai, who had won the first round, to pull out ahead of the contest.
- SAPA