AU chief urges Africa to help Zimbabwe overcome problems

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, June 30 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Jean Ping on Monday here called on Africa to shoulder responsibilities and help Zimbabwe overcome their election problems.

"Africa must fully shoulder its responsibilities and do everything in its power to help the Zimbabwean parties to work together to help overcome their country's problems," he said at the opening session of the 11th AU summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrived on Monday at the AU summit where he would be under pressure to negotiate with the opposition after winning a one-candidate election condemned by monitors as unfair and violent.

Mugabe, 84, flew to Egypt overnight soon after being sworn in for a new term, extending his unbroken rule since independence from Britain in 1980.

During the summit, the AU chief Jean Ping also hailed the efforts by southern African countries in trying to help solve Zimbabwe's problems.

Under the theme "Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation", the two-day summit is attended by heads of State and Government or representatives of 53 AU members.