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| Botswana denounces Mugabe victory | Botswana denounces Mugabe victory |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The vice-president of Botswana has strongly condemned the president of neighbouring Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, over last week's election run-off. | |
| Mompati Merfahe said the vote "did not reflect the unfettered will of the people" and Zimbabwe should be excluded from African Union and regional talks. | Mompati Merfahe said the vote "did not reflect the unfettered will of the people" and Zimbabwe should be excluded from African Union and regional talks. |
| The statement was made at an African Union summit in Egypt. | The statement was made at an African Union summit in Egypt. |
| A spokesman for Mr Mugabe, who won the poll boycotted by the opposition, said Western critics could "go hang". | |
| "Botswana's position is that the outcome of these elections does not confer legitimacy on the government of President Mugabe," Mr Merafhe told the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. | |
| This is the sharpest criticism of the election expressed at the meeting. | |
| The BBC's Martin Plaut, who is at the summit, says it is rare for African leaders to address each other across the conference floor in such unguarded terms. | |
| Earlier, briefing reporters, Mr Mugabe's spokesman was asked whether Zimbabwe should follow Kenya and create a government of national unity. | |
| "Kenya is Kenya. Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe," George Charamba responded. | |
| "We have our own history of evolving dialogue and resolving political impasses the Zimbabwean way. The Zimbabwean way, not the Kenyan way. Not at all." |