African leaders gather to discuss Zimbabwe

Southern African leaders will begin emergency talks in Tanzania today on the political turmoil in Zimbabwe.

The two-day meeting was called by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional economic bloc. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was expected to arrive in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, on last night.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete will chair the meeting.

Kikwete visited Zimbabwe earlier this month, after reports of a brutal police crackdown on the political opposition there drew renewed international attention to a long-running political and economic crisis. Tanzania is one of three Southern African nations appointed by SADC to try to address the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has come in for international condemnation for attacks on activists, including the opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who was badly beaten after his arrest on March 11 when police crushed a prayer meeting the government banned, calling it an illegal political protest.

Several other leaders were also taken to hospital.

Mugabe blamed the opposition for the recent violence and dismissed claims that his rule was approaching an end in statements on Friday.

This week, Zimbabwe’s ruling party leaders are scheduled to consider abandoning widely criticised proposals to delay presidential elections until 2010. Mugabe, who had pushed for a delay that would have lengthened his rule, appeared ready to concede on the issue.

The SADC meeting was also expected to address the violence in Congo.

In the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, more than 100 people died on Thursday in fighting that broke out between army forces and fighters loyal to a failed presidential candidate. Security forces regained control of Kinshasa on Friday.