Southern African states to meet on Zimbabwe crisis

By George Obulutsa

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Members of the southern African regional bloc SADC will meet in Tanzania near the end of this month to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe, Tanzania's foreign minister said on Friday.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete met Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe in Harare on Thursday amid international outrage over images of beaten opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai going to court after his arrest.

Tanzania is one of a troika of SADC states charged with trying to solve Zimbabwe's political and economic woes.

"Our president believes that as the chairman of the SADC peace and security organs, and in collaboration with other SADC leaders, they can solve Zimbabwe's problems diplomatically," Tanzanian foreign minister Bernard Membe said of Kikwete.

Members of bloc's peace and security organisation would meet on March 26-27 in Dar es Salaam, he added.

"This is the troika meeting and afterwards I believe we will be able to discuss peace and security in the region including in Zimbabwe," Membe told a news conference.

During Kikwete's talks with Mugabe, the pair agreed to begin "a new chapter" in efforts to fix Zimbabwe's crisis, Membe said.

Mugabe had assured his Tanzanian counterpart that opposition leaders caught up in the government crackdown would receive fair treatment under Zimbabwean law, he added.

"President Mugabe assured President Kikwete all the problems that took place will be dealt with within the law and all those involved will have their rights," Membe said.