Hopes of early negotiations to end the crisis in Zimbabwe took a fresh blow yesterday as Robert Mugabe ruled out any talks with the opposition until it recognises him formally as the legitimate President.

Thousands of supporters were ordered to report to Harare Airport in full Zanu (PF) regalia to greet Mr Mugabe as he arrived home from a summit of African Union (AU) leaders, having dodged serious censure, despite fierce condemnation from countries such as Botswana and Kenya.

Addressing the crowd, Mr Mugabe said that Morgan Tsvangirai should not “delude” himself into thinking the election results could be nullified and that the opposition leader must renounce his claim to the presidency before any dialogue.

Western countries have refused to recognise Mr Mugabe’s victory in the widely discredited vote, in which the he was the sole candidate after Mr Tsvangirai withdrew in the face of mounting violence. The AU, divided over how to deal with the crisis, could agree only on a toothless call for talks leading to the formation of a national unity government.

Emboldened, Mr Mugabe laid down the line over how such dialogue could begin. “I am the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and that is the reality,” he told supporters. “Everybody has to accept that if they want to dialogue. If they agree on that, and we are satisfied, then we shall go into dialogue and listen to them by way of ideas those votes can never be thrown away.”

Even before Mr Mugabe had left the summit, Mr Tsvangirai denounced the AU resolution, saying that he would never agree to join a national unity government and calling instead for the formation of a transitional authority to rewrite Zimbabwe’s constitution ahead of fresh elections.

His Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party dismissed Mr Mugabe’s “unrealistic precondition” yesterday, saying that the pre-run-off violence was still continuing, with the death toll now standing at 103. More than 1,500 people have been arrested and 5,000 are missing after being displaced from their homes. Those arrested include 20 MDC parliamentarians.

Hopes that the southern African neighbourhood would take a harder line with Mr Mugabe have faded since the summit with his harshest critic, Levy Mwanawasa, the Zambian President, fighting for his life in a hospital in Paris after suffering a stroke at the meeting.

Botswana picked up Mr Mwanawasa’s torch yesterday, urging members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) not to recognise Mr Mugabe’s victory. “As a country that practices democracy and the rule of law, Botswana does not recognise the outcome of the presidential run-off election, and would expect other SADC member states to do the same,” Phandu Sekelemani, the Foreign Minister, said. Botswana has also called for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the bloc.

Nigeria added its voice to the African criticism, with Ojo Maduekwe, the Foreign Minister, expressing “strong displeasure” on Thursday at the process leading to the re-election and saying that the result should not form a basis for negotiations Mr Sekelemani said that he believed the mounting international condemnation would put pressure on Mr Mugabe, despite his historic imperviousness to outside criticism.

“He did say in Egypt recently that he was saddened by the position of Botswana,” Mr Sekelemani. “I could see it in his face that the old man was really sad, but I pray that he understands it is not personal.”

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