HARARE (Reuters):

WESTERN POWERS sought to persuade Africa to confront Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe yesterday.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Mugabe's regime was "appalling, disgraceful and utterly tragic for the people of Zimbabwe" and damaging the whole region's reputation.

"Let's be very clear: the solution to Zimbabwe ultimately will not come simply through the pressure applied by Britain. That pressure has got to be applied within Africa, in particular within the African Union," Blair told legislators.

"We will continue to do all we can to make sure that Africa realises this is the responsibility of Africa as well as the Zimbabwean Government." Zimbabwe is a former British colony.

Zimbabwe's inflation has soared to 1,700 per cent, unemployment has jumped to 80 per cent and there are frequent shortages of food, fuel and foreign exchange.

Ready to get tough

Regional economic and political powerhouse South Africa has been targeted by some human rights groups for being soft on the Harare government, which activists last week accused of arresting and beating Opposition figures, including Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer of Australia, which four years ago led moves to suspend Zimbabwe from the 53-nation Commonwealth after the country's flawed presidential election, said he believed Africa was ready to get tough.

"My takeout from the diplomatic representations we've made around southern Africa over the last week or so is that there is a very significant increase in the degree of concern," Downer told Australian radio.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said the region would have to get involved through the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

"Quiet diplomacy has failed to help solve the political chaos and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe," Mwanawasa said late on Tuesday in neighbouring Namibia.