ACCRA (Reuters) - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday called on all African leaders to acknowledge he won last month's disputed election, and promised an "honourable exit" for President Robert Mugabe.
Speaking on the sidelines of a U.N. trade and developmentconference in Accra, Ghana, Tsvangirai insisted he had won theMarch 29 presidential poll in the southern African state.
His Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has accusedMugabe, who has ruled since independence in 1980, of attemptingto cling to power by delaying declaring the results.
"Our reputation as a continent may suffer serious disreputeif we ... allow Robert Mugabe to undermine the results of thedemocratic election by refusing to transfer power knowing hehas lost the popular support of the people," Tsvangirai told anews conference.
"We are calling ... on every head of state in Africa tostand in defence of the people of Zimbabwe," he said.
But he also had conciliatory words for the veteranZimbabwean president.
"Robert Mugabe is a liberation hero on our continent and hemust be convinced to make a graceful exit. In fact, we have nointention of violating his rights. We believe the time has comefor him to have an honourable exit," Tsvangirai said.
The opposition leader met United Nations Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon in Accra on Monday and appealed to him and Africanleaders to intervene in his country's post-election crisis.
Tsvangirai said he had also held talks with GhanaianPresident John Kufuor, and added Kufuor was "sympathetic".
(Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)