SOUTH AFRICA: Boycott by Botswana, but Tsvangirai gets his passport back in time for weekend summit of southern African leaders

Record ID: 456063

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Boycott by Botswana, but Tsvangirai gets his passport back in time for weekend summit of southern African leaders
  • Date: 16th August 2008
  • Summary: (W4) SANDTON, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 15, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR SANDTON INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: LVA90Q13O1IK11EN58CUB2YWQ4DJ
  • Story Text: Botswana's president will boycott a weekend summit of southern African leaders because the country does not recognise Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's re-election, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
    President Seretse Khama Ian Khama's decision not to attend the summit in South Africa underlines growing pressure from regional leaders on Mugabe and Zimbabwe's opposition to agree on sharing power to end post-election turmoil.
    Negotiations began last month but three days of marathon meetins have failed to reach a deal.
    Botswana has taken the toughest stand among Zimbabwe's neighbours but all fear the consequences if its worsening economic decline leads to total meltdown. Millions of Zimbabweans have already fled across its borders.
    South African Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said she respected Botswana's decision as a sovereign state but added the group could still make binding decisions with the 13 participating heads-of-state.
    SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao said the SADC was determined to help Zimbabwe overcome the difficulties it faced in rebuilding the country.
    Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai are expected to resume power-sharing talks at the summit.
    Tsvangirai was held up on Thursday (August 14) when Zimbabwean authorities confiscated his passport, threatening to prevent him from attending the summit, but it was later returned to him.
    Tsvangirai was to address a meeting of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security -- consisting of Angola, Tanzania and Swaziland -- on Friday.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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