GABORONE, Sept 24, 2007 (AFP) - A southern African bloc said Monday it had not decided whether to attend an upcoming EU-Africa summit overshadowed by a dispute between Britain and Zimbabwe over the participation of President Robert Mugabe.

'The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has not taken a position regarding the issue,' media and public affairs manager, Charles Mobita, told AFP.

LILONGWE, Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) - Rwanda's President Paul Kagame said on Wednesday that his country was no longer interested in joining the southern African grouping SADC in order to avoid 'overlapping' roles with other blocs.

'As a country we need to rationalise on which organisations to join in order to avoid overlaps and of course we realised that there were duplications in the roles of most of these regional groupings,' he told journalists at the end of his three-day visit to Malawi.

GABORONE, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) - The head of the Southern African Development Community said on Friday a report on economic solutions for Zimbabwe would remain under wraps, but he believed the country still had a viable economy.

SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salamao sought to quash rumours emerging after last week's summit in Lusaka, denying he had suggested Zimbabwe's neighbours should pump money into the country's ailing economy, or that its currency be pinned to South Africa's.

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 21, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African leaders meeting in Lusaka last week should have been more vociferous against human rights violations taking place in Zimbabwe, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday.

The London-based group accused Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders of wasting a crucial opportunity to give President Robert Mugabe a public dressing down and take steps to address atrocities in the country.

PRETORIA, Aug 20, 2007 (AFP) - Leaders in southern Africa who just wrapped up a summit in Zambia were divided over how to help Zimbabwe out of its economic crisis, an African analyst close to the discussions said on Monday.

Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders said at the end of the meeting on Friday that the problems of ailing Zimbabwe were 'exaggerated'.

LUSAKA, Aug 18, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African leaders failed Friday to heed calls for strong action against the embattled Zimbabwean government, saying the ailing country's problems were 'exaggerated'.

'We ... feel that the problems in Zimbabwe have been exaggerated. We feel they will solve their economic problems,' Zambian president and chairman of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), Levy Mwanawasa, told journalists at the end of a two-day heads of state summit in Lusaka, Zambia.

WASHINGTON, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - The United States on Friday called on leaders from southern Africa to push harder to end a crisis in Zimbabwe, crippled by political turmoil and economic meltdown.

'We encourage SADC leaders to press vigorously for a sustainable solution to this man-made crisis,' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. 'The Zimbabwean people deserve nothing less.'

The call came after a summit meeting of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) ended with no apparent progress in efforts to resolve Zimbabwe's situation.

LUSAKA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African leaders expressed Friday satisfaction with the pace of negotiations aimed at soothing political tensions in embattled Zimbabwe, saying talks were 'progressing smoothly.'

Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state, meeting in the Zambian capital Lusaka, were briefed on talks between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and both factions of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

LUSAKA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwe's embattled President Robert Mugabe was absent Friday from a closing ceremony at the end of a two-day regional heads of state summit at which the crisis in his country took centre stage.

No explanation was given for the absence of the 83-year-old leader from Lusaka's Mulungushi conference centre, where he attended the opening on Thursday morning.

LUSAKA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African leaders on Friday launched a rapid intervention force aimed at boosting peacekeeping efforts in the region as they wound up a summit in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

'This scourge of conflicts in Africa constitutes a major impediment for social and economic development,' Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said of the new force agreed to by the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC).

LUSAKA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African leaders meeting in the Zambian capital Lusaka on Friday announced the creation of a rapid intervention force to boost peacekeeping efforts in the region.

'This scourge of conflicts in Africa constitutes a major impediment for social economic development', said Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, the incoming chairman of the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC).

LUSAKA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African leaders meeting in the Zambian capital Lusaka on Friday announced the creation of a rapid intervention force to boost peacekeeping efforts in the region.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) force, which has been in the pipeline for several years, would be integrated into the African Union's Standby Force.

LUSAKA, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - A two-day summit of Southern African leaders closes in Lusaka, Zambia, Friday with observers eagerly anticipating word on two reports on efforts to resolve the crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki was due to report to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit on his efforts to broker a stalemate between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

LUSAKA, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe was given a hero's welcome Thursday at the opening of a southern African summit set to be dominated by international concerns over his country's meltdown.

The embattled octogenarian leader received thunderous applause as he walked into the summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) -- in stark contrast to polite claps reserved for other heads of state.

LUSAKA, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Regional leaders in Southern African on Thursday called for Angola to quickly hold democratic elections as it was the only country in the region not to hold successful polls since independence.

Outgoing Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman and Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili told leaders at a two-day summit in Zambia that Angola should be encouraged to speedily hold elections.

LUSAKA, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is the ruling party's best choice for the 2008 presidential election, a key minister said Thursday, brushing aside growing demands for political reforms.

'Mugabe is the best foot forward for us to win in 2008 and for us to win against imperialism,' Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told journalists ahead of the opening of a summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

LUSAKA, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Leaders from southern Africa gathered here Thursday for a two-day summit likely to be dominated by the crisis in Zimbabwe, which has led millions of its citizens to flee to neighbouring countries.

Presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia were among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders present in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

LUSAKA, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Leaders from southern Africa gathered here Thursday for a two-day summit likely to be dominated by the crisis in Zimbabwe, which has led millions of its citizens to flee to neighbouring countries.

Presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia were among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders present at the opening in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

LUSAKA, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African heads of state begin Thursday a two-day summit in Zambian capital Lusaka likely to be dominated by the crisis in Zimbabwe, which is being felt across the region as Zimbabweans flee the imploding economy at home.

President Robert Mugabe, 83, who has been in power since Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980, arrived in Lusaka on Wednesday afternoon.

LUSAKA, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - The head of Southern Africa's 14-member economic and political bloc implied Wednesday that Western sanctions were contributing to Zimbabwe's economic melt-down.

As heads of state arrived in Lusaka for the Southern African Development Community summit, bloc chief Tomaz Salomao told journalists that Zimbabwe, crippled by world-record inflation, was still a viable economy.

'Number one, Zimbabwe is a viable economy. Number two, Zimbabwe is operating under sanctions,' he said of his findings in a recent SADC-mandated assessment.

LUSAKA, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrived Wednesday in the Zambian capital Lusaka for the Southern African regional summit, expected to be overshadowed by the crisis in his country.

Zimbabwe, facing a dire economic and political crisis, is expected to feature prominently in discussions starting Thursday although neither the summit website nor the official programme made any reference to the issue.

LUSAKA, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African heads of state started arriving Wednesday in the Zambian capital Lusaka ahead of a two-day summit expected to be overshadowed by the crisis in Zimbabwe.

But as the leaders began arriving on the eve of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) two-day summit, a veil was drawn at the conference venue on all issues related to Zimbabwe.

LUSAKA, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African heads of state started arriving Wednesday in the Zambian capital Lusaka ahead of a two-day summit expected to be overshadowed by the crisis in Zimbabwe.

But as the leaders began arriving at Lusaka International Airport on the eve of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit, a veil was drawn at the conference venue on all issues related to Zimbabwe.

LUSAKA, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwe's main opposition Wednesday called for broader regional mediation to resolve the southern African nation's political and economic crises.

Talks under South African President Thabo Mbeki to end the political impasse in Zimbabwe, which critics squarely blame on President Robert Mugabe, are not enough, the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said.

LUSAKA, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - The South African government Wednesday disowned a report cited in British media which claimed it has accused Britain of trying to strangle Zimbabwe's economy.

Media in Britain have purportedly been quoting from a report about South African President Thabo Mbeki's efforts to mediate a stalemate between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, saying it blamed Britain for Zimbabwe's economic downspiral.

LUSAKA, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - A global human rights watchdog Friday urged southern African leaders meeting here this week to pressure Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government to halt sweeping rights abuses.

In a statement ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Lusaka, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said regional leaders should press Harare to 'end its broadscale attack on human rights.'

LUSAKA, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - The crisis in Zimbabwe will dominate the agenda at a regional gathering of Southern African leaders here this week, but analysts see little chance of a significant shift in policy towards Harare.

The meeting of heads of state from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) which begins Thursday in Lusaka is expected to confirm the 14-nation regional bloc's stance of 'quiet diplomacy' with the government of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

LUSAKA, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - Southern African leaders will unlikely be able to find a solution to the meltdown in Zimbabwe at their summit meeting in Zambia later this week, and will probably dabble only in diplomatic matters, analysts predict.

Few expect concrete results from the Southern African Development Community heads of state gathering that starts in Lusaka Thursday, or that the regional bloc will alter its stance of quiet diplomacy towards the ailing state.

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 13, 2007 (AFP) - Zambia's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda is this month to be given a prestigious business award for his contribution to private sector growth in the region, a southern African business group said on Monday.

'Kaunda is being honoured for his valued and outstanding contribution in the creation of a suitable environment for economic growth, private sector development and investor confidence in the SADC region and the rest of the continent', the Association of SADC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCCI) said in the statement.

LUSAKA, Aug 10, 2007 (AFP) - Zambian civic and religious groups on Friday postponed planned demonstrations for next week's meeting of southern African leaders in Lusaka.

The Oasis Forum, a coalition of civic and religious groups, said they had agreed a police request to put back their protests over plans to change Zambia's constitution.

'We have decided to reschedule our demonstrations after police said they have no manpower to handle our protests,' said Musa Mwenye, Oasis Forum spokesman.

HARARE, Aug 8, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwe is to import 300,000 tonnes of the staple maize from its neighbours to avert widespread food shortages following a poor harvest, an official said Wednesday.

'We are in negotiations with countries in the region to import around 300,000 tonnes of maize to ensure that maize is available through out the country,' Samuel Muvuti, chief executive of the state-run Grain Marketing Board told AFP.

LUSAKA, Aug 8, 2007 (AFP) - A long-awaited agreement between Zimbabwe's government and the main opposition to end a political crisis may soon be reached under mediation, according to a report obtained Wednesday.

In the report obtained ahead of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit next week in Zambia -- where Zimbabwe is likely to top the agenda -- the country's government said talks were progressing well.

'There are strong indications that the two sides are sliding towards an agreement,' said the report.

LUSAKA, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - The Zambian government has reiterated its warning to civic groups to drop their plan to stage violent protests during next week's meeting of regional leaders.

The government said in a statement that it had received reports that the groups were planning to hold protests during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) 27th summit which begins on August 16 in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

LUSAKA, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - The Zambian government said Wednesday it will not allow civil society groups to demonstrate at a meeting of regional leaders next month.

Home affairs secretary Peter Mumba threatened the civic groups with arrests if they go ahead with plans to picket at the summit of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) leaders.

A coalition of Zambian civic and church groups plan express their concern over the simmering political situation in Zambia over a new constitution.