Mandela Blasts Mugabe's 'Tragic Failure of Leadership'

Nelson Mandela broke his silence today and denounced the "tragic failure of leadership" of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. The influential former South African leader had previously held back so he wouldn't undermine the authority of mediator Thabo Mbeki, the BBC reports. "The world remains beset by so much human suffering," he said. "It is now in the hands of your generations to help rid the world of such suffering."

Mugabe has brushed off international calls to postpone Friday's run-off election, which has been marred by so much intimidation and violence that the opposition has dropped out. "We watch with sadness the continuing tragedy in Darfur," said Mandela. "Nearer to home we have seen the outbreak of violence against fellow Africans in our own country and the tragic failure of leadership in our neighboring Zimbabwe." (More Nelson Mandela stories.)