US President George W. Bush said today South African President Thabo Mbeki was "the point man" to resolve Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis, which Washington has warned threatens regional stability.
In a warming of relations, the two leaders publicly set aside differences over Mr Mbeki's opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq and presented a united front on Zimbabwe in hour-long talks that also touched on Liberia, AIDS and trade.
President Robert Mugabe's rule in Zimbabwe had been expected to expose fresh divisions, but Mr Bush said he would not second-guess Mr Mbeki's policy of "quiet diplomacy" on the issue. A US official said later, however, Washington believed "everyone" including Mr Mbeki must do more on Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe suffers chronic food shortages and 70 per cent unemployment. Critics blame the crisis on Mr Mugabe. But he denies responsibility, blaming it on opponents angry over his seizure of white-owned farms for redistribution to landless blacks.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned southern African states last month political unrest in Zimbabwe posed a threat to the region unless they pressured Mr Mugabe into reform, while Mr Mbeki showed a reluctance to lean on his northern neighbour.
"The president is the point man on (Zimbabwe)," said Mr Bush, on a first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president that underlines a rethink of the continent's strategic importance.
Mr Bush, whose reassessment was prompted by growing US reliance on Africa's oil and intelligence al Qaeda could use the continent as a hideout, said Mr Mbeki was working hard on Zimbabwe.
Mr Mbeki said he and Mr Bush were "absolutely of one mind" about how to deal with Zimbabwe.
"The principal responsibility for the resolution of this problem rests with the people of Zimbabwe," he said, suggesting Pretoria remained unwilling to take an aggressive public stance on Mr Mugabe's 23-year rule.
Zimbabwean opposition leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, who has praised Washington in the past, dismissed as "false and mischievous" a statement by Mr Mbeki that the opposition and Mr Mugabe were in dialogue to resolve the country's problems.