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Lusaka-Southern African leaders meeting in the Zambian capital on Friday announced the creation of a rapid intervention force to boost peacekeeping efforts in the region.The Southern African Development Community (SADC) force, which had been in the pipeline for several years, would be integrated into the African Union's Standby Force.Later on Friday, President Thabo Mbeki was due to report to the summit on his efforts to broker a stalemate between Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.The 14-member regional bloc was under renewed pressure to find a solution to Zimbabwe's woes, characterised by an inflation rate exceeding 5 000%, 80 unemployment and widespread poverty.The situation had caused thousands of Zimbabweans to flee daily to neighbouring countries.At the opening of the two-day summit on Thursday, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was given a rousing hero's welcome, despite the economic and political crises facing his country.SADC leaders were more critical of Angolan President Eduardo Dos Santos, demanding that democratic elections be held in his country, the only one in the region not to have staged a democratic poll since gaining independence in 1975.Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa assumed the chairmanship of the bloc on Friday.As in the days of Noah...
