Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) today began their first talks since widely condemned elections last month that returned President Robert Mugabe to power.
Both sides have been under heavy African and world pressure to enter negotiations since Mr Mugabe's re-election in a June 27th poll scarred by campaign violence.
Diplomatic sources in Pretoria said the talks had begun in South Africa without specifying the location.
The MDC, which boycotted the election because of violence that it said killed 103 of its supporters, had until now refused to enter talks.
It said negotiations could not resume until the violence ended and Mr Mugabe accepted the result of the first round of the election in March, won by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
An MDC source in Harare said the talks were preliminary and would discuss ending the violence.
"Our team is in South Africa, where they will have preliminary talks with Zanu-PF, starting today. It means something is happening. So these are not the actual talks, but preliminary discussions on what the talks will focus on," the source said.
The new talks are being mediated by South Africa, designated as lead negotiator by the Southern African Development Community. The diplomatic sources said a breakaway faction of the MDC, led by Arthur Mutambara, was also taking part.
Zimbabwe's High Court yesterday relaxed bail conditions on MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti and gave him back his passport, responding to a petition by his lawyers who said he should be allowed to travel for talks in South Africa.
The June 27th election and its condemned outcome have worsened the crisis in Zimbabwe, whose economy has collapsed, sending millions of refugees into neighbouring states including South Africa and increasing pressure for a solution.
The once prosperous nation is crippled by the world's worst inflation rate, estimated to be at least 2 million per cent.
Mr Mugabe ((84) has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980. The African Union, at a summit last month, called for talks leading to a national unity government.