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Deutsche Welle

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's regime has banned a visit planned by a distinguished group of international "Elders" to assess Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis. The group was to be represented by former US president Jimmy Carter, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Mozambican social activist and wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel. Harare denounced the group as "a clique made up of personalities hostile to Zimbabwe." The two-day visit was due to begin on Saturday. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's ruling party and the opposition plan to meet next week in South Africa to negotiate the powers of the prime minister, a post created under the power-sharing deal.