Zimbabwe's African neighbours have begun consultations on what to do about the violent election crisis that is racking the country.

Jean Ping, the chairman of the African Union Commission, said today that there was grave concern among African nations at events in Zimbabwe, where the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has decided to pull out of the second round of voting blaming the murders, beatings and intimidation of his supporters.

"This development, and the increasing acts of violence in the run-up to the second round of the presidential election, are a matter of grave concern to the Commission of the AU," said Mr Ping, in a statement. Talks had begun with the continent's regional leaders about how to resolve the crisis, the statement went on.

The African Union is not due to meet until next week. In the meanwhile, southern African nations appear to agree that Friday's contest between President Robert Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai should now be postponed, for more negotiations to take place. Ultimately they favour setting up a Zimbabwean government of national unity.

"There is no need to be ashamed in announcing that the presidential run-off should be called off until further notice," said President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia, the chairman of the Southern African Development Community, which has the task of ensuring free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.

"Elections held in such an environment will not only be undemocratic but will also bring embarrassment to the SADC region and the entire continent of Africa."

The Zimbabwean justice minister has however said that it is too late to cancel the presidential election, which will take place on Friday.

Announcing his decision yesterday, Mr Tsvangirai said his Movement for Democratic Change supporters would be risking their lives if they cast votes against President Robert Mugabe. So far an estimated 80 MDC activists or their family members have been killed, more than a thousand tortured and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes. Tens of thousands more are being forced to take part in "re-education", singing praise songs about Mr Mugabe and being threatened and cajoled to vote for him.

The MDC blames the violence on the Zimbabwean security forces and mobs loyal to Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. Mr Mugabe, 84, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980, and has vowed never to hand over to the opposition whom he brands puppets of the West, says that it is the MDC which is committing violence.

President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the SADC negotiator for Zimbabwe, has called for Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai to negotiate. "I would hope that that leadership would still be open to a process which would result in them coming to some agreement about what happens to their country," Mbeki was quoted by the SAPA news agency as saying.

Mr Ping has begun consultations with Mr Mbeki, with the SADC and with President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, the AU chairman.

"The chairperson of the Commission stresses the need for all Zimbabwean stakeholders to exercise restraint and reiterates his call for an immediate end to all acts of violence," said Mr Ping's statement.

"He calls on Zimbabwean parties to work together to overcome the challenges facing their country in this critical phase in its history."

There has been a international chorus of disapproval and concern from outside Africa. Britain and America intend to raise the issue at a meeting of the United Nations security council later today, and may push for stricter sanctions to be imposed on Zimbabwe.

Lord Malloch-Brown, the Foreign Office minister, said action could be taken through a range of international bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and the European Union.

"I believe there is a whole range of things that can be done which can bring this regime to heel in the sense of requiring it to bend to the will of the international community and allow political change," said Lord Malloch-Brown told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

He said that he did expect to see a “dramatic hardening” of the position of the African Union when their leaders met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh next week. He acknowledged however that he did not expect to see the sort of forthright condemnation coming from Western countries.

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