Nigerian president to visit Zimbabwe

Nigerian officials say President Olusegun Obasanjo, a key mediator in Zimbabwe's political crisis, will visit Harare on Monday for talks with President Robert Mugabe.

Mr Obasanjo helped to broker a deal earlier this year under which Zimbabwe agreed to end the violent seizure of white-owned farms in return for a payment of $360m from Britain.

The visit comes as Zimbabwe faces possible suspension from the councils of the Commonwealth for failing to halt the occupations and intimidating political opponents.

Mr Mugabe, who is currently visiting Libya, has dismissed the threat, saying the Commonwealth would not agree to what he described as the demand of a mad British government.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service