HARARE, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Wednesday it was committed to negotiations with the ruling Zanu PF party to find a lasting solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe.

    Addressing a press conference in Harare on the just ended African Union summit held in Egypt, the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai told journalists that talks were the only way forward to solve differences between the opposition and the ruling Zanu PF.

    "The MDC is committed to a negotiated solution to the crisis that we are facing," he said, dismissing reports that there were talks currently taking place between the two parties.

    "There are no talks taking place as far as we know," he said.

    The opposition leader said there was no substitute for sitting down to map the way forward, taking examples from conflicts that had taken place on the African continent.

    "Lessons are that at the end of the day, conflicts are resolved through negotiations. We are not dismissing the question of talks but we are saying it cannot just be dialogue for the sake of dialogue; it has to be principled dialogue to find a solution to the crisis," he said.

    Tsvangirai lost to President Robert Mugabe in the presidential run-off election concluded on Sunday.

    President Mugabe said last week the ruling Zanu PF was ready to meet with the opposition to chart the way forward to get Zimbabwe out of the challenges it was facing.

    Mugabe has, however, said, "it must be a meeting of our minds and not a meeting of other people's minds through us."

    Other players, including the Southern African Development Community and the African Union have also backed the proposed inter-party talks.

AU summit closed after discussions on MDGs, food crisis and Zimbabwe

    SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The 11th African Union (AU) summit closed here Tuesday after African leaders discussed the impact of soaring food prices, the situation in Zimbabwe, and how to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. 

AU adopts resolution on Zimbabwe dialogue, national unity

    SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Tuesday adopted here a resolution supporting the creation of a government of national unity for Zimbabwe through dialogue, a text of the decision said.

    Reached at the ongoing 11th AU summit at the Egyptian Red Sea resort, the AU resolution decided to encourage Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to honor their commitment to initiate dialogue with a view to promoting peace, stability, democracy and reconciliation.

Britain says first draft on Zimbabwe sanctions completed by U.S.

    UNITED NATIONS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States has completed a first draft resolution proposing sanctions on Zimbabwe over Friday's presidential run-off election, Britain's UN ambassador John Sawers said on Monday.

    "Our United States colleagues have drafted a first draft of a sanctions resolution which is being discussed over the next couple of days," Sawers told reporters on the sidelines of a Security Council meeting.

White House: U.S. may impose sanctions against Zimbabwe in two weeks

    WASHINGTON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States will possibly announce new diplomatic and economic sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his government in "a week or two," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Monday.

    "I don't think it'll take that long to develop, but we just need to give them maybe a week or two to think about that," Perino said of the forthcoming sanctions against Zimbabwe. "Let's see what they come up with."

Zimbabwe President Mugabe sworn in for new term

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is confered with the presidential ribbon by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku during his inauguration at the State House in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, on June 29, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
·Tsvangirai said Wednesday MDC was committed to negotiations with ruling party.
·Tsvangirai said talks were the only way forward to solve differences.
·Tsvangirai lost to Mugabe in  presidential run-off election ended Sunday.
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    HARARE, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was sworn in for a new five-year term in office on Sunday, after being declared winner of Friday's presidential run-off poll.

    He overwhelmingly beat Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai by 2,150,265 votes to 233,000, or 85.5 percent to 9.3 percent in the election, overturning the latter's victory in the first round of the poll in March 29, according to the results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).