AU, UN to join Zimbabwe reference group

This was announced on Friday, 18 July, after SADC appointed mediator President Thabo Mbeki met with AU Commission Chief Jean Ping, UN envoy Haile Menkerioat and SADC representative - Angolan Deputy Foreign Minister George Chikoti at the Presidential Guest house.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister for Provincial and Local Government, Sydney Mufamadi, who is also Mbeki's right-hand man in the mediation efforts, told reporters that the new group would support the president in his mission to mediate between the ruling and opposition political parties in Harare on behalf of the 14-nation regional group- SADC.

"They will appoint people who will be based in [Zimbabwe] and they will get briefings on a regular basis from them.

"If a member of the reference group wants to make a strategic input, they will be welcomed," said Mr Mufamadi.

President Mbeki, however, remains fully in charge of the mediation process as mandated by SADC and the AU, but the group can monitor progress and give him its views, said Mr Mufamadi.

The meeting is the first between Ping and Mbeki since Robert Mugabe's re-election in a one-man poll on 27 June.

The elections were widely critised after the leader of the opposition boycotted the run-off following a wave of deadly attacks on his supporters.

Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mugabe into second place in the first round of voting in March does not recognise his rival's re-election.

Tsvangirai has so far refused to put his name to a framework deal that might bring about some kind of power-sharing deal.

For this reason, Mufamadi explained that a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was established that outlines the agenda and terms for the talks, framework of the new government, timeframe, and composition of the negotiating teams.

"The first draft of the MoU was drawn up by the three negotiating teams under the chairmanship of Mr Mbeki's facilitators. It was finalised and agreed upon by negotiators on Monday in the presence of Mr Mbeki's envoys, Frank Chikane, Mujanku Gumbi and myself," said Mufamadi.

President Mbeki was tasked more than a year ago by the 14-nation SADC to mediate in Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis.

Menkerios endorsed Mbeki for continuing in his role as mediator.

"We fully support the effort of SADC, [and] the mediator," he said, adding that the new reference group is a way, a mechanism, through which that support could be expressed.

Ping also gave his support to Mbeki, saying he was "satisfied by the briefing, by the decision" on the new reference group.

In a statement on Saturday, MDC leader has also welcomed the appointment of a reference group "of eminent Africans who will work with President Mbeki to find a peaceful negotiated solution for Zimbabwe."

The closed-door talks were being held coincided with a gathering of foreign ministers in Durban, where Zimbabwe's post-election violence and efforts to bring about some kind of power-sharing deal were to top the agenda.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs the meeting chaired by Angolan Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo de Miranda discussed Interstate Defence and Security Committee issues, particularly on progress made by the police, defence, public security and state security sectors.

They also discussed the SADC Brigade that was launched on 17 August last year, and the launch of the regional early warning centre scheduled for December 2008.

By Bathandwa Mbola, courtesy of BuaNews