By Cris Chinaka
HARARE (Reuters) - President Robert Mugabe returns toZimbabwe on Wednesday under pressure from fellow Africanleaders to form a national unity government in the wake of hisre-election in a violent poll ruled unfair by monitors.
An African Union summit in Egypt, attended by Mugabe,approved a resolution calling for him to negotiate withopposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who withdrew from therun-off election because of violence against his supporters.
The resolution fell short of the tougher statement wantedby some African countries, but it was an unprecedented rebuffto Mugabe, previously feted as a liberation hero.
In the strongest public statement from one of Zimbabwe'sneighbours since he was sworn in on Sunday, Botswana called forMugabe to be barred from the AU and the southern Africanregional body SADC.
Last Friday's second-round election, in which he was theonly candidate, was condemned by monitors and much of worldopinion as violent and unfair.
"In our considered view ... the representatives of thecurrent government in Zimbabwe should be excluded fromattending SADC (Southern African Development Community) andAfrican Union meetings," Botswana Vice-President MompatiMerafhe said, according to a text of his remarks.
Botswana said Mugabe's participation in African meetings"would give unqualified legitimacy to a process which cannot beconsidered legitimate".
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for Mugabe,84, to be suspended from the AU after the election.
European Union president France said the EU would onlyaccept a Zimbabwean government led by Tsvangirai, echoing aWestern position that Mugabe was an illegitimate leader.
Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in the first round of theelection on March 29 but withdrew from the run-off after hesaid pro-government militias killed 86 of his supporters.
Botswana's statement underlined deep rifts in Africa andamong Zimbabwe's neighbours over how tough to be with Mugabe.
South Africa, the designated mediator in Zimbabwe, hasresisted open condemnation. The AU summit, in the Egyptianresort of Sharm el-Sheikh, called for SADC mediation, led bySouth African President Thabo Mbeki, to continue.
Mbeki has been criticised in the region and at home forwhat is seen as ineffective mediation that favours Mugabe.
At the summit, Mugabe attacked his critics in Africa andoutside but did not object to the resolution, Egyptian ForeignMinistry spokesman Hossam Zaki told reporters.
"There was a lengthy debate, many views were put forwardincluding very critical views of the Zimbabwean ruling partyand the president," Zaki said.
Mugabe spokesman George Charamba earlier rejected ideasbeing discussed for a power-sharing deal and MDCSecretary-General Tendai Biti said there was no chance ofnegotiations.
Biti said Mugabe's decision to go ahead with the June 27election "totally and completely exterminated any prospects ofa negotiated settlement".
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the party would respondto the AU resolution on Wednesday.
The summit did not back a U.S. push for U.N. sanctionsagainst Mugabe, including an arms embargo.
(Additional reporting by Cynthia Johnston and Daniel Wallisin Sharm el-Sheikh, Nelson Banya and MacDonald Dzirutwe inHarare, Marius Bosch in Johannesburg; Writing by Barry Moody;Editing by Andrew Dobbie)
