Mugabe escapes new sanctions

A Commonwealth meeting to review the crisis in Zimbabwe decided against tightening sanctions on President Robert Mugabe's government after South Africa and Nigeria opposed such a move.

The South African and Nigerian presidents want to see how Zimbabwe responds over the next six months to limited measures imposed in March, after which "stronger measures might need to be considered", a statement said after the meeting of the Commonwealth "troika" in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The Mugabe government accused the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, who was the third leader at the meeting, of trying to turn the Commonwealth into a "kangaroo court" by pressing for Zimbabwe's expulsion from the group. Mr Mugabe boycotted the summit, saying that he feared a "court martial".

The decision on sanctions enraged Zimbabwean civic groups, which accused the Commonwealth of abdicating on its responsibility to uphold democratic standards. Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition MDC, accused the Commonwealth of giving Mr Mugabe a "blank cheque".