CRS-14 support for Mbeki’s mediation. Mugabe reportedly called the SADC meeting “a show staged by Britain.”60 Following Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the runoff, President Mwanawasa reportedly commented that "elections held in such an environment will not only be undemocratic but will also bring embarrassment to the region."61 President Mwanawasa reportedly suffered a stroke on the eve of the AU Summit in Sharm elSheikh, and has not spoken to the press since he was hospitalized. Since the runoff, Botswana appears to have taken the strongest stance on Zimbabwe, declaring on July 4 that the government would not recognize Mugabe as president, and that President Ian Khama had called on other SADC leaders to do the same.62 The African Union (AU). In a communique on April 17, the African Union expressed concern over the delayed results, “which creates an atmosphere of tension that is not in the least conducive to the consolidation of the democratic process that was so felicitously launched through the organization of the elections.”63 In early May, Chairman of the AU Commission Jean Ping led an AU mission to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. He called for Zimbabwe’s political actors to: to conduct their activities in a free, transparent, tolerant, and non-violent manner to enable eligible Zimbabweans [to] exercise their democratic rights. It is essential also that peace and security be maintained, and that the will of the people be respected by all stakeholders once the results are announced.64 At the June 29- July 1 AU Summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, Botswana's Vice President joined leaders from Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ghana in calling for punitive measures against the Mugabe regime. The AU leaders ultimately failed to reach consensus on sanctions, but issued a public call for talks to establish a unity government. While the AU has traditionally deferred to regional mediation efforts, reports suggest the AU Chairman, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete (who is also a member of SADC), may be considering calls to widen the Mbeki-led SADC mediation and encourage a greater role by the United Nations. Kenya’s new prime minister, Raila Odinga, and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan have commented that Southern African leaders could do more to resolve the crisis. 60 Fiona Forde, “Summit on Zim ‘Coup’ Crisis Stalls,” The Sunday Independent, April 13, 2008. 61 "Tsvangirai Withdrawal: Key Quotes," BBC, June 23, 2008. 62 "Botswana Refuses to Recognize Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe," BBC Monitoring Africa, July 8, 2008. 63 African Union Division of Communication and Information, “Communique on the Situation in Zimbabwe,” April 17, 2008. 64 Statement by the Chairman of the AU Commission on the Situation in Zimbabwe on May 6, 2008, available at [http://www.africa-union.org].