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Mbeki leads Zimbabwe crisis talks Mbeki upbeat after Zimbabwe talks
(about 2 hours later)
South African President Thabo Mbeki is holding talks with President Robert Mugabe and opposition officials in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare. South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki says he is "very confident" that mediation will produce a solution for Zimbabwe's political crisis.
All those involved are keeping their cards close to their chests, divulging very little about the South-Africa mediated talks on the Zimbabwe crisis. He was speaking after talks with President Robert Mugabe and opposition officials in the Zimbabwean capital.
Mr Mbeki is stopping off in Harare on his way to the Commonwealth summit in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. There has been a virtual news blackout around the South African-mediated talks but sources suggest they have agreed four of the five points on the agenda.
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has also gone to Kampala. The sticking point is the last issue - the political climate.
Mr Mbeki has a mandate from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to seek an end to the Zimbabwe crisis. Mr Mbeki stopped off in Harare on his way to the Commonwealth summit in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, to meet both sides.
'Euphemism' He told reporters he had visited "to see the president, and the leadership of the MDC [opposition Movement for Democratic Change], so we can reflect on where we are and to report to them as facilitator how the talks have gone."
Mr Tsvangirai, who heads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), says there has been notable progress. Mr Mbeki, who has been tasked by the Southern Africa Development Community with helping to find a solution to Zimbabwe's political crisis, said the mediated talks were "going well".
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has also gone to Kampala to lobby Commonwealth leaders on the Zimbabwe issue.
Concerns
MDC leader Mr Tsvangirai also said there had been notable progress.
He said he was confident that the agenda set through the South Africa-led mediation would address the fundamental concerns around elections due next year.He said he was confident that the agenda set through the South Africa-led mediation would address the fundamental concerns around elections due next year.
The MDC is lobbying Commonwealth leadersThe MDC is lobbying Commonwealth leaders
Sources have told the BBC the negotiators have reached agreement on four of the five points on the agenda. The BBC's Peter Greste in Johannesburg says the issue of the political climate is proving to be a much harder issue to resolve and the talks are now months behind schedule as a result.
The last one, which the BBC's Peter Greste in Johannesburg is euphamisticaly titled "political climate" refers to violent supression of the MDS's political activities, and to sanctions that the government blames for creating the crisis in the first place. Our correspondent says it encompasses both the violent suppression of the MDC's political activities, and the sanctions that Mr Mugabe's government blames for creating the crisis in the first place.
Our correspondent says it is proving to be a much harder issue to resolve, and talks are now months behind schedule. He says there is no guarantee that President Mbeki will be able to break this deadlock, but at least he will be able to go to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting demonstrating real effort, if nothing else.
He says there is no guarantee that President Mbeki will be able to break the deadlock, but at least he will be able to go to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting demonstrating real effort, if nothing else.
Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003 after it was suspended because of allegations of poll rigging.Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003 after it was suspended because of allegations of poll rigging.
But Mr Tsvangirai told reporters in Kampala it was important for the body to continue engaging, to ensure Zimbabwe is rescued from its political and economic crisis.But Mr Tsvangirai told reporters in Kampala it was important for the body to continue engaging, to ensure Zimbabwe is rescued from its political and economic crisis.