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Mugabe Vows to Hold Onto Power Saying 'Zimbabwe is Mine'


President Robert Mugabe said Friday that "Zimbabwe is mine" and vowed never to surrender, saying no African nation is brave enough to topple him. Mr. Mugabe's statement comes as Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change party, said he will advise his party's national council to withdraw from any talks about an inclusive government, unless all abducted party members and civil rights activists are released or charged by January 1.

Mr. Mugabe was addressing thousands of ZANU-PF officials and members at the party's annual conference when he vowed not to let go of power in Zimbabwe.

Maintaining Britain is trying to recolonize Zimbabwe, Mr. Mugabe said he has sent a letter to Mr. Tsvangirai inviting him to be sworn in as prime minister in an inclusive government.

From Botswana, where Mr. Tsvangirai has been in exile for the last six weeks, the MDC leader said the situation in Zimbabwe, particularly from the humanitarian perspective, is worse than at anytime in Zimbabwe's history.

Mr. Tsvangirai said that more than 42 members of his opposition party and civil society have been abducted in the past two months. They include two journalists and their whereabouts remain unknown. He said that the MDC can no longer sit at the same negotiating table with a party that is abducting our members and other innocent civilians and refusing to produce any of them before a court of law.

He said he had signed a political agreement with Mr. Mugabe in September to form an inclusive government, but this would only be possible if there were two willing partners. He said Mr. Mugabe was unwilling to put the welfare of Zimbabwe and its people first.

He called upon the Southern African development Community and the African Union to ensure conditions are met to alleviate the suffering of Zimbabwe's people in the shortest possible time.

Jendayi Frazer, U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said Thursday that "there is a complete collapse right now" in Zimbabwe, and said that Mr. Mugabe needs to step down.

Most neighboring countries including regional giant South Africa are opposed to military intervention in Zimbabwe, where more than 1,100 people have died from cholera and the United Nations nearly half the population needs emergency food aid.

Mr. Mugabe on Friday questioned which African countries "would have the courage" to order a military intervention.

Mr. Tsvangirai beat Mr. Mugabe in March presidential elections at which his party also ended the 28-year domination of parliament by Mugabe's party. But officials results said Mr. Tsvangirai did not win outright, and he withdrew from a runoff because of state-sponsored violence.

To break the impasse over the presidential votes, Mr. Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai agreed to form a unity government three months ago but have been deadlocked since over how to share Cabinet posts.

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