Zimbabwe Leaders Inch Toward Talks

Posted on Jul 20, 2008

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have taken a step toward reconciliation, albeit a sluggish one. According to a U.N. envoy, the two sides have tentatively agreed to an outline of conditions for negotiations.

Update 1: U.N. envoy Haile Menkerios has said he expects both parties to sign the agreement by the end of the week.

Update 2: The BBC reports that “President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have signed a deal outlining a framework for talks on Zimbabwe’s political crisis.”

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BBC:

Mr Menkerios said he believed the two men had agreed a draft memorandum of understanding setting out the terms under which they could enter direct negotiations.

But he said both men would have to sign the document to “clear the way” for talks.

Mr Tsvangirai’s party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), still has several conditions to be met before it will agree to talks with Mr Mugabe.

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