Zimbabwe: African Union, UN to Monitor Talks

Posted to the web 18 July 2008 Cape Town South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, under fire for the handling of the Zimbabwean crisis, has won African Union and United Nations backing for his plans to facilitate a solution - but will liaise with a tri-partite "reference group" over his efforts. Mbeki's office announced Friday that after meetings with top AU, UN and Southern African Development Community representatives, "all parties agreed with the framework" which he had proposed. They had also endorsed his role as SADC's mediator and "pledged to support his efforts." However, the statement added that the AU, UN and SADC would - at Mbeki's suggestion - form a reference group with which he "will liaise on an ongoing basis." Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which secured the highest number of votes of any party... [read full story]