Agreement On Zimbabwe Eludes Western & African Leaders At G8 Summit
G8 leaders warned their African counterparts that they would call for more sanctions against Zimbabwe unless rapid progress is made to 
Zimbabwe's deep political crisis has been assigned a high profile at the summit of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations that opened Monday on Japan’s northern Hokkaido Island,this in a week that could debate on multilateral sanctions against the government of President Robert Mugabe in the United Nations Security Council in New York. Diplomatic sources said African leaders present in Hokkaido onthe margins of the G8 summit were divided on how to handle the crisis. Reports said South African president Thabo Mbeki was taken to task by G8 leaders for not increasing pressure on President Mugabe over a range of issues including in particular the conduct of Zimbabwe's recent presidential run-off election and political violence. Mbeki since 2007 has held a brief from the Southern African Development Community to mediate in Zimbabwe, but there ismounting pressure for the mediation approach to be broadened to include representativesof the African Union. Mr. Mbeki has been isolated by countries including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, which are refusing torecognize the outcome of the election, or Mr. Mugabe’s legitimacy. Senegal and Ghana have condemned the elections and called for a national unity government. In what appeared to be a last-ditch bid to produce results, Mr. Mbekiflew to Harare on the weekend hoping to bring President Mugabe and oppositionleader Morgan Tsvangirai together. But Tsvangirai refused to meet with Mr. Mugabe, saying this would appear to legitimize his presidency, meanwhile keeping pressure on Mr. Mbeki to accept broadened mediation. Britainhas urged Mr. Mbeki to work with a United Nations-appointed envoy while Tanzania supports opening the process include African Union envoys. G8 leaders warnedtheir African counterparts that they would call for more sanctions against Zimbabwe unless rapid progress is made to respond to the June 27 presidential ballot which most Western countries and a number of African countries have labeled illegitimate. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with British support is expected to push the U.N. Security Council to approve expanded multilateral sanctions on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the West must not interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.