The ex-president Jimmy Carter and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has canceled previously scheduled two-day visit to Zimbabwe because local authorities did not give them visas.

They said this at a press conference in Johannesburg.

The third group of "wise men" - Nelson Mandela's wife Grace Machel - also withdrew from the trip.

"We were forced to cancel the visit because the Government [Zimbabwe] made it clear that is not going to cooperate," - said Annan.

Annan added that the decision to Harare especially ogorchilo him and his colleagues, since the sole purpose of their visit was to familiarize with the situation, talk to residents and to the extent of help the country's population, face a severe humanitarian crisis.

According to him, members of the group of three "did not intend to participate in the political negotiations between the authorities and the opposition.

Earlier, the authorities of Zimbabwe assured that the visit there will be no obstacles. However semiofficial newspaper "Herald" a few days ago published a paper in which, with reference to the government official accused the veterans of world politics of bias.

Carter and Annan indicated that sought a visa a few weeks ago, and that the authorities have not explained the reasons for rejection.

The crisis

In March this year in Zimbabwe have been presidential elections in which bessmenno ruling the country since 1987 and known left-wing and anti-Western beliefs of President Robert Mugabe has given way to democratic opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Supporters of Tsvangirai claimed that he won in the first round, but the authorities insisted on holding the second round in late June.

According to human rights organizations, on the eve of a vote of about 70 opposition supporters were killed, hundreds of people were beaten and intimidated. Tsvangirai himself has refused to participate in the elections, saying they could not in such circumstances to be free and fair.

As a result, the winner was declared the sole vote Mugabe, causing a worldwide wave of criticism.

September 11, brokered by former South African President Thabo Mbeki had reached agreement on national reconciliation, under which Tsvangirai was prime minister, which mainly in Zimbabwe was not a ministerial portfolios are divided almost evenly between pro-presidential parties ZANU-PF and the opposition.

However, to implement the agreement so far failed, mainly because of the unwillingness of opposition to Mugabe to convey the key post of Minister of Internal Affairs, giving control over the police and intelligence agencies.

Meanwhile, inflation in Zimbabwe has exceeded record levels posleversalskoy Germany. According to estimates by humanitarian organizations, by early next year to half the population will require food assistance.

In recent weeks, all the ills the country and added another cholera epidemic, which has killed nearly 300 people.