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Bid to heal Mugabe rift with UK Bid to heal Mugabe rift with UK
(about 2 hours later)
Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade has suggested a committee of African leaders to help heal Zimbabwe's rift with its former colonial power the UK.Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade has suggested a committee of African leaders to help heal Zimbabwe's rift with its former colonial power the UK.
The UK prime minister is not attending next month's EU-Africa summit in Portugal, as Zimbabwe's leader has been invited despite his EU travel ban.The UK prime minister is not attending next month's EU-Africa summit in Portugal, as Zimbabwe's leader has been invited despite his EU travel ban.
In response, President Robert Mugabe said that Zimbabweans had "never feared talking" to the British.In response, President Robert Mugabe said that Zimbabweans had "never feared talking" to the British.
Mr Wade made the proposal on a trip to Harare to meet Mr Mugabe.Mr Wade made the proposal on a trip to Harare to meet Mr Mugabe.
"I think the problem should be an African problem and involve all African countries," Mr Wade told reporters after the meeting. "I come to Zimbabwe to meet my brother Mugabe because I think that in Africa we should help each other. You know that this country has some problems with the British and I think all African countries should help Zimbabwe," Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper quotes Mr Wade as telling reporters after the meeting.
The UK accuses Mr Mugabe of human rights abuses and rigging elections. The UK and EU accuse Mr Mugabe of human rights abuses and rigging elections.
Rivalry
Correspondents say Mr Wade flew into Harare at his own initiative to help mend diplomatic fences.
President Wade wishes to be seen as a leading pan-Africanist
At the same time, the UK appeared to harden its position to Zimbabwe by announcing that no government minister will be taking Prime Minister Gordon Brown's place at the Portugal conference.
Instead Mr Brown is be represented by Baroness Amos, a former foreign office minister for Africa.
Mr Wade's visit comes a week after South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki was in Harare for talks with Mr Mugabe and opposition officials.
Mr Mbeki has been tasked by the Southern Africa Development Community with helping to find a solution to Zimbabwe's political crisis.
"I am going to propose the creation of a committee of five heads of state, which will include Thabo Mbeki, of course, to try to resolve relations between England and Zimbabwe," Mr Wade said on Wednesday.
But the BBC's Tidiane Sy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, says many at home see the trip to Harare as another episode in the rivalry between Mr Wade and Mr Mbeki.
For Mr Wade it is important that Zimbabwe's mediation process be broadened to involve other African leaders, he says.
Recently the Senegalese leader said Mr Mbeki alone cannot solve Zimbabwe's crisis, our correspondent says.
A few years ago, Mr Wade made similar criticisms about the South African leader while both were trying to mediate in the Ivory Coast crisis.
According to the AFP news agency, while Mr Mugabe said he had no problem with dialogue with Britain, Zimbabwe would not "brook... unhelpful parallel initiatives", a apparent reference to mediation talks being hosted by South Africa.