Mugabe agrees to share power

A power-sharing deal has finally been agreed in Zimbabwe, ending the country's bitter and divisive political crisis and 28 years of Robert Mugabe's grip on the country. Mugabe yesterday agreed to surrender day-to-day control of Zimbabwe's government to his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai.

It is expected that Mugabe will remain president while Tsvangirai becomes executive prime minister. But the agreement fell short of Tsvangirai's demand for Mugabe to become solely a ceremonial president.

The potentially historic agreement was brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki, after weeks of stop-start negotiations following this year's brutal presidential election which saw some 200 opposition supporters killed.

"An agreement has been reached on all items on the agenda," Mbeki told a press conference in Harare. "All of them endorsed the document tonight. I am absolutely certain that the leadership of Zimbabwe is committed to implementing these agreements."

Mbeki declined to give precise details on how the pact will work, and in response international reaction was muted last night. The British government is waiting to see how the power-sharing deal will work, a Foreign Office spokesman said last night. "We are following the situation closely… Our overriding concern is the welfare of the Zimbabwean people."

A formal signing ceremony is expected to be held in Harare on Monday.