Commonwealth team meets Mugabe

President Mugabe is increasingly isolated internationally

Commonwealth ministers have met President Robert Mugabe after arriving in Zimbabwe to assess whether promises to end political violence and intimidation are being met.

If you look at the Abuja agreement it was well beyond land itself. There was an undertaking that the rule of law would be observed too

Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon

The delegation, led by Nigerian Foreign Minister Sule Lamido, is also meeting Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge.

Talks are scheduled with white farmers, opposition leaders and war veterans during the two-day visit.

The main aim of the mission is to set a timetable for President Mugabe's government to comply with a deal brokered by Nigeria last month to end the violent invasions of white-owned farms.

'Ongoing implementation'

Officials taking part include Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon, Britain's Foreign Office Minister of State Valerie Amos, as well as envoys from Australia, Canada and South Africa.

White farmers say land invasions are continuing

Mr McKinnon told the BBC it was a priority of the mission to "ensure the ongoing implementation" of the agreement, signed in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

He said the talks would not be limited to the single issue of farm invasions.

"If you look at the Abuja agreement it was well beyond land itself. There was an undertaking that the rule of law would be observed too," he said.

But according to the Reuters news agency, analysts warn the mission may hear the right words but see little or no action.

Mixed messages

There have been mixed messages from Harare.

The government has promised to cooperate with the delegation amid continuing hostility to white farmers who have questioned its commitment to the Nigerian deal.

"I think the Commonwealth ministers are going to hear all the right words from the government," leading political analyst Masipula Sithole told Reuters.

"But I don't see how they will get the right action," he was quoted as saying.

Under the deal signed in Abuja, Zimbabwe agreed to stop homeless black people from seizing white-owned farms.

In return for Zimbabwe agreeing to respect the rule of law, Britain agreed to find £36m ($53m) to compensate white farm-owners whose land would be redistributed to poor black families.

Verbal attacks

But Mr Mugabe's government has recently launched several verbal attacks against farmers who believe the deal is not being taken seriously.

"With this sort of approach, I don't see where the Commonwealth will find room for progress," political analyst Chenjerai Hove was quoted as saying.

Militants have occupied nearly 2,000 white-owned farms since last year, with the tacit approval of the government.

Farmers say the violence has not let up since the Commonwealth deal, and that there has been no action by the government to evict illegal land invaders.

Reports of violence and intimidation directed at members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change are also persisting.