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Mbeki hosts key talks on Zimbabwe Diplomats aid Mbeki with Zimbabwe
(about 6 hours later)
South African President Thabo Mbeki is holding talks with African Union chief Jean Ping in the latest bid to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis. A group of senior diplomats are to help South African President Thabo Mbeki in his efforts to solve Zimbabwe's political crisis.
The pair are expected to discuss ways of brokering a power-sharing agreement between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Envoys will be drawn from the UN, African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
Mr Tsvangirai insists that violence must stop before agreeing to talks. The move was welcomed by Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been critical of Mr Mbeki.
Mr Mbeki, the lead mediator on Zimbabwe, is also meeting a senior UN envoy and a senior Angolan official. Mr Tsvangirai is currently considering entering power-sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe.
Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the current chair of the southern African security body, has been a close ally of Mr Mugabe but recently urged him to halt the violence against Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change. Sydney Mufamadi, a close aide of Mr Mbeki, announced the creation of a "reference group" consisting of AU head Jean Ping, the UN's Zimbabwe envoy Haile Menkerios, and Sadc official George Chikoti.
His deputy foreign minister George Chikoti is meeting Mr Mbeki, along with Haile Menkerios, the UN General Secretary's Special Representative. PRECONDITIONS FOR TALKS MDC: End to political violenceRelease of supportersResumption of aidPermanent AU envoySwearing in of MPs Zanu-PF: Mugabe recognised as president Mr Mufamadi said the South African president had proposed the reference group during talks with the three envoys in Pretoria on Friday.
PRECONDITIONS FOR TALKS MDC: End to political violenceRelease of supportersResumption of aidPermanent AU envoySwearing in of MPs Zanu-PF: Mugabe recognised as president "[The group] will get briefings on a regular basis," he said.
Zimbabwe's leaders are under increasing pressure to agree to share power. "If a member of the reference group... wants to make a strategic input, they are welcome."
Mr Tsvangirai is reportedly waiting to see what the talks in South Africa yield before agreeing to deal with Mr Mugabe. But analysts say Mr Mbeki is keen to remain the main mediator in the talks.
A memorandum of understanding setting out the conditions for talks on a possible power-sharing agreement was expected to be signed this week. In a statement, Mr Tsvangirai welcomed the "appointment of a reference group of eminent Africans who will work with President Mbeki and the main parties in Zimbabwe to find a peaceful negotiated solution to the Zimbabwean crisis".
But Mr Tsvangirai has not yet signed it. Accusations
The MDC has set several conditions for talks, including the end of government-backed violence it says has killed 120 of its supporters. A memorandum of understanding setting out the conditions for talks on a possible power-sharing agreement was expected to be signed by Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai this week.
But Mr Tsvangirai did not sign it, insisting that his demands had not yet been met.
His party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had identified Mr Mbeki - the lead negotiator in the talks - as a key problem.
They accused him of being biased towards Mr Mugabe, and Mr Tsvangirai had asked for another envoy to join the talks alongside Mr Mbeki.
The MDC has set several other conditions for talks, including the end of government-backed violence it says has killed 120 of its supporters.
It also wants Mr Tsvangirai's victory in the first round of the presidential vote on 29 March to be officially accepted.It also wants Mr Tsvangirai's victory in the first round of the presidential vote on 29 March to be officially accepted.
MDC spokesman Nqobizita Mlilo said the party's demands had not yet been met. Mr Mbeki was appointed in 2007 by Sadc, a regional grouping, to mediate in Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis.
"We want to see the outcome of the meeting between Mr Ping and President Mbeki... and then we will take it from there," he said on Thursday.
Mr Mbeki was appointed by regional grouping the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to mediate in Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis last year.
But critics say his discreet diplomatic approach has favoured Mr Mugabe.
It is thought his talks with Mr Ping in Pretoria could result in an African Union envoy being appointed to assist in the mediation efforts.