4.30pm BST update

G8 condemns Mbeki's quiet diplomacy over Zimbabwe

The US president, George Bush, and the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, prepare for lunch at an outreach session during the G8 summit in Japan
The US president, George Bush, and the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, prepare for lunch during today's African outreach session at the the G8 summit in Japan. Photograph: Getty Images

G8 leaders today gave the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, a fierce grilling over the crisis in Zimbabwe, saying his mediation efforts were not succeeding and rejecting his suggestion that Robert Mugabe remain as titular head of the country.

At what was described as a fiery meeting, the US president, George Bush, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, challenged Mbeki's dogged belief that his quiet diplomacy was working.

Mbeki's claim of making progress in Zimbabwe was also questioned at the private meeting by African leaders, including the Nigerian president, Umara Yar'Adua, and John Kufuour, the president of Ghana.

Mbeki warned Britain and the US that Zimbabwe could descend into civil war if they pressed for tougher EU or UN sanctions against Mugabe's regime. The G8 is expected to issue a statement tomorrow calling for sanctions unless Mugabe responds to mediation.

G8 officials were today still working on the precise wording as Britain and the US considered tabling a UN resolution in New York. British officials suggested previous Russian hostility to sanctions was weakening, while Bush denounced the elections in Zimbabwe as a sham.

The G8 leaders are becoming increasingly frustrated about donating $25bn (£12.5bn) in aid to Africa by 2010 when some of Africa's most senior leaders are unwilling to take a decisive stand on enforcing democracy and human rights.

Gordon Brown's spokesman insisted Britain wanted an outcome in Zimbabwe that reflected the first round results of March 29, in which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change won parliamentary control.

Merkel agreed: "I made it very clear, that the election result is not legitimate," she told reporters after the meeting.

Britain is still hoping the African Union (AU) chairman and president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, will take a stronger stand, but there appears to be a reluctance within the AU to do anything to undermine Mbeki's leadership.

Britain and the US are calling for a UN envoy to be recognised by Zimbabwe and for South Africa to welcome UN mediation efforts alongside Mbeki's efforts at reconciliation.

Britain is privately becoming more frustrated with Mbeki's quiet diplomacy and has been accused by his aides of trying to persuade the Zimbabwean opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, not to meet the South African leader.

In a bid to show his continued leadership of the Zimbabwe crisis, Mbeki flew to Harare for a meeting with Mugabe and Tsvangirai. However, Tsvangirai boycotted the meeting, saying Mbeki could no longer be trusted and that a new mediation mechanism was needed to tackle the crisis in his country.

South Africa has appeared to dismiss calls for extra sanctions on Mugabe and his officials, disappointing aid groups and frustrating the British government, which wants a more hardline stance from southern African countries.

A spokesman for the Japanese government, which is hosting the G8 summit, said: "Some African leaders mentioned that we should bear in mind that Mugabe will retire in a few years. Putting pressure on Zimbabwe, including sanctions, might lead to internal conflict. We should be discrete and careful."

Tearfund, one of the aid groups operating in Zimbabwe, expressed disappointment at the progress of the G8 talks: "African leaders attending the talks apeared to have asked for virtually nothing of their G8 counterparts in discussions.


The Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, was the least aggressive toward Mbeki, claiming some African countries had warned heavy sanctions would lead to a civil war. "South Africa is pushing for a deal between the president and his opponent, and I agree. Sanctions can have a negative effect," Berlusconi said.

A UN security council resolution drafted by the US and backed by Britain would require nations to freeze the financial assets of Mugabe and 11 of his officials, and to restrict their travel to within Zimbabwe.

The G8 leaders met leaders from Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania and the chairman of the African Union Commission.

Today's best video

Today in pictures