AU Summit Begins Under Shadow of Zimbabwe

June 30th, 2008 | EthioPolitics.com |

African Union (AU) leaders have begun a summit in Egypt that looks set to be overshadowed by the crisis in Zimbabwe. The two-day AU meeting was declared open by the current chairman, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who introduced host President Hosni Mubarak for the first speech.

President Robert Mugabe entered the hall in Sharm el-Sheikh with the Egyptian and Tanzanian leaders. Mr Mugabe, 84, was sworn in on Sunday after his election victory but observers said pre-poll violence had undermined the vote’s credibility.

There have been calls for the AU not to recognise Mr Mugabe, but it may urge talks with the opposition instead. Mr Mugabe claimed a landslide victory as the sole candidate after the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, withdrew.

The AU has a rule not to accept leaders who have not been democratically elected - but observers say it is unlikely to take such strong action against Mr Mugabe so quickly.

A draft resolution written by African foreign ministers during talks ahead of the summit did not criticise the elections or Mr Mugabe, but condemned violence in general terms and called for dialogue.

African leaders are expected to urge Mr Mugabe to enter into talks with Mr Tsvangirai, and engage in some sort of power-sharing agreement. South African President Thabo Mbeki, the regionally-appointed mediator for Zimbabwe, has called for a negotiated solution.

On Monday, the MDC called for an additional mediator to be appointed to work alongside Mr Mbeki. Mr Mugabe was sworn in during a quickly convened ceremony on Sunday, about an hour after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced the results of the presidential election run-off.

In a speech that followed the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Mugabe said he was committed to talks with the opposition to find a solution to the political crisis.