Rice seeks African insight

2008-05-10 08:04

Washington - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke on Friday with African leaders and former UN chief Kofi Annan for their insight into how to end Zimbabwe's presidential election crisis, her spokesperson said.

Rice spoke to Botswana President Ian Khama, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete about how they could help promote a solution, her spokesperson Sean McCormack told reporters.

But he did not say why Rice did not speak with South African President Thabo Mbeki, who was in Harare for intensive talks with veteran Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe.

"I don't have any particular reason," he said.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which won control of parliament and whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai won a first-round victory against Mugabe in polls on March 29, has called for Mbeki to be axed as a mediator over his softly-softly approach towards the Zimbabwean leader.

Instead, McCormack stressed broader regional and international efforts to solve the problem.

Though Zimbabwe's opposition parties will have to reach an understanding about how to proceed, "it's going to need the support and encouragement of neighbouring countries" as well as international players, he added.

Rice and her African envoy Jendayi Frazer decided "to get a sense from leaders in the region who really have some deep insights into the situation and how it might go forward, as to what the situation is, how they saw it, and how they were thinking about it might move forward," McCormack said.

He said it was also important for Rice to talk to Annan, "who plays an important role in the international system, but particularly on issues related to Africa".

As the Zimbabwean and South African leaders held talks in Harare, a coalition of doctors said there had been a dramatic escalation in attacks in rural areas by supporters of Mugabe.

The main labour federation, meanwhile, said its two top leaders had been arrested over speeches made to workers at a May Day rally.

- AFP