Worried African leaders called on President Robert Mugabe to resolve the crisis gripping Zimbabwe and to hold free and fair elections yesterday at a mini-summit in the Malawian capital, Blantyre.
As Amnesty International warned that the rapidly deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe could spark a civil war, Malawian President Bakili Muluzi issued uncharacteristically forthright advice to Mr Mugabe.
"What is important is not just election day but the entire election process, from the preparations to the vote counting and the announcement of results," he told the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The special meeting had been called to discuss the Congo war but was dominated by Zimbabwe. Mr Mugabe sat quietly as leaders of neighbouring countries - who had previously shied away from criticising him - described the Zimbabwe crisis as a threat to regional stability. Even the Malawian pastor who opened the meeting prayed for a peaceful outcome to the controversial land redistribution programme.
Mr Mugabe's neighbours are under pressure to show their resolve as the European Union, Commonwealth and United States prepare to impose sanctions.
In a statement issued from South Africa, Amnesty International warned that the deteriorating situation "raises the spectre of such violent repression of political opposition degenerating into civil war". The statement came as the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claimed that one of its offices had been burned down and several supporters beaten up by ruling party thugs over the weekend.
The MDC leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, called on the SADC leaders to impose "smart sanctions". The International Crisis Group, a conflict resolution organisation, said last week that South Africa would be best placed to lead such measures.
South Africa supplies most of Zimbabwe's electricity, now on credit, and President Mugabe and other Zanu-PF figures are believed to have "significant money and property in South Africa".
But hopes for such sanctions are low. Zimbabwe has extensive trading links with its neighbours, many of whose leaders have also traditionally enjoyed close links with Mr Mugabe.
The region has lost as much as $36 billion in investment, according to one estimate, while the South African rand plummeted 40 per cent in the past year.