A call by eight of the world's most powerful leaders to send a United Nations envoy to Zimbabwe and to press for new sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime is a stinging humiliation for long-time mediator Thabo Mbeki and his policy of quiet diplomacy, analysts said on Wednesday.
The South African president, who was at the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Japan, has long argued he is best placed to broker a settlement between Zimbabwe's governing party and opposition and that sanctions would only worsen the situation.
But while world leaders have previously been willing to leave the hot potato of Zimbabwe in his lap, observers said Tuesday's statement by the G8 shows they have run of patience with the South African leader's softly-softly approach.
"It is extremely humiliating," said Hussein Solomon, director of the Pretoria-based Centre for International Policy studies.
Solomon said that Mbeki's refusal to criticise Mugabe had not only been discredited in the eyes of the West but was regarded with increasing scepticism closer to home.
"Various African countries, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, have all been critical of Mr Mugabe, and for some reason Mr Mbeki refuses to budge. This is partly his personality -- he would have to accept his failure."
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