LUSAKA (AFP) - Southern African leaders expressed yesterday 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.
The SADC is under growing pressure to find a solution to Zimbabwe's woes which have resulted in thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing daily to neighbouring countries.
The leaders "commended President Thabo Mbeki, welcomed the progress, and urged the parties to expedite the process... so that the next elections are held in an orderly environment of peace," a statement said.
South African leader Mbeki reported to the summit on his efforts to mediate a stalemate between the rival parties in ailing Zimbabwe, as mandated by the SADC in March.
Zimbabwe -- once a model in the region -- is in tatters. The country's economy has shrunk by 30 percent over the past six years, Harare is battling with the world's highest rate of inflation and high joblessness and poverty.
Critics also accuse Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, of stifling democracy and crushing any opposition to his rule.
Mbeki is meanwhile accused by critics of treating Mugabe with kid gloves and turning a blind eye to his alleged excesses, partly out of gratitude to the veteran African leader who sheltered anti-apartheid activists from South Africa in his country.
Mugabe was absent from Friday's closing ceremony for the summit and no mention of Zimbabwe was made by the four regional leaders who addressed the summit at the close.
Mugabe told Zambia's state ZNBC television on Friday that sanctions were to blame for his country's economic woes, adding things were getting better.
"It is going well, relatively," he said. "We are trying to use our resources to bring about a turn-around."
Mugabe said Zimbabwe was focusing on boosting agriculture, but added that a "substantial amount of ready cash" was needed to purchase oil. His advice for the region was: "We must be as self-sufficient as possible."
The defiant 83-year-old Zimbabwean leader was given a rousing welcome to the summit Thursday, despite mounting global criticism of the crisis in his country.
Zambian leader and SADC chairman Levy Mwanawasa, who had previously likened Zimbabwe to a "sinking Titanic", urged all sides Thursday to "maintain peace and stability at all costs" and promised the bloc's support.
Portugal said yesterday that it would not ban Mugabe from an EU-Africa summit in Lisbon in December, despite European Union travel and financial restrictions against the Zimbabwe leader.
Mugabe and more than 100 people closely linked to his regime, were slapped with a travel ban and investment restrictions by the West after allegations that he rigged his re-election in 2002.
Also yesterday, SADC leaders launched a military force to boost peacekeeping efforts in the region.
The troops would be on permanent standby for monitoring missions, peace-building, post-conflict disarmament and security restoration as well as to provide support in major natural disasters.
"This scourge of conflicts in Africa constitutes a major impediment for social and economic development," Mwanawasa said at the launch