EGYPT
African leaders don’t shun Mugabe
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) — Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe entered an African summit accompanied by the meeting’s host Monday, a sign that African leaders won’t shun him despite Western demands they take a tough stance over his re-election in a tainted vote.
But behind the scenes, some leaders were pushing for Mugabe to share power with his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, who dropped out of Friday’s runoff election after alleged state-sponsored killings and beatings of his supporters.
While many African countries — including regional powerhouse South Africa — were unwilling to condemn Mugabe, criticism by the United States and Europe mounted.
France said Monday it considered Mugabe’s government “illegitimate,” and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the African Union to reject the result of the runoff.
During public speeches in this Red Sea resort, most AU leaders spoke of the “challenges” in Zimbabwe and none said anything harsh about Mugabe.
