Carter, Annan "have no intention" of interfering in Zimbabwe (Extra)

Nov 20, 2008, 11:59 GMT

Johannesburg - Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan assured Thursday that he, former United States president Jimmy Carter and a third member of The Elders had 'no intention' of interfering in Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks.

Annan was responding to the Zimbabwean government's put-down of the trio's plans to visit Zimbabwe to assess the extent of the country's humanitarian crisis.

Annan, Carter and Mozambican social activist Graca Machel, who is also the wife of The Elders founder, former South African president Nelson Mandela, were planning to spend Saturday and Sunday 'to meet those working on the ground to better assess the extent of the crisis and how assistance can be improved.'

The visit appears to be in jeopardy after a Zimbabwean government source, in the state-controlled Herald newspaper, accused the three of trying to bolster the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in power-sharing talks.

'The visit has been deemed a partisan mission by a group of people with partisan interests,' the Herald said, while saying the government had advised the Elders that it was 'not in a position to handle the visit at this time of the year.'

'As we said earlier, we have no intention of becoming involved in the ongoing political negotiations in Zimbabwe. My colleagues and I look forward to our visit,' Annan said in a statement.

'We have sought meetings with political leaders in Zimbabwe and would be pleased to hear their views,' he added.