Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe attends Monday's opening session of the African Union summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, as Western leaders called for his re-election last week not to be recognized. (Nasser Nasser/Associated Press) Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe sought support from his fellow African leaders at a regional summit in Egypt Monday, while international condemnation grew over his re-election in a presidential run-off vote last week.

Mugabe was the only candidate in the Friday vote after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew, alleging violent intimidation and vote-rigging preparations by the government.

Canada has announced sanctions against Mugabe's regime, while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for the world to send a message that the "so-called elections will not be recognized."

Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, at a press conference in Harare last week, has been calling for the world not to recognize Robert Mugabe's victory in last Friday's controversial run-off election. (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated Press) Reuters news agency is reporting from the United Nations that the U.S. has submitted a draft security council resolution that imposes an arms embargo and stiff economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.

The draft document also proposes a travel ban on any Zimbabwean who helped the government "undermine democratic processes" or supported politically motivated violence.

After swearing himself in Sunday, Mugabe is in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the annual summit of the African Union, where most other leaders in attendance have been much less critical of the Zimbabwe voting

"The world is watching to see whether or not African leaders will recognize Robert Mugabe as a legitimate leader of Zimbabwe and whether or not they will be much more publicly and openly forceful about denouncing the elections," said Gretchen Wilson, a freelance journalist reporting for CBC.

Zimbabwe's electoral commission declared that Mugabe won with 85.5 per cent of the vote against Tsvangirai, whose name still appeared on the ballot.

Mugabe 'hugging everyone'

The 84-year-old Mugabe entered the conference hall alongside his host, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

After opening speeches at the summit, leaders from the group held closed-door meetings expected to focus on how the group should address Zimbabwe's election.

An African delegate present at those meetings said Mugabe hugged several heads of states and other diplomats.

"He was hugging everyone, pretty much everyone he could get close to," said the delegate, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the meetings were closed to the media.

Earlier in the day, African Union Commission chief Jean Ping told the summit that Africa must work to end the Zimbabwe crisis, which threatens to destabilize the southern part of the continent.

Zambia's absence is 'bad luck'

"Africa must fully shoulder its responsibility and do everything in its power to help the Zimbabwe parties to work together so as to overcome current challenges," said Ping.

AU leaders are expected to gently urge Mugabe to engage in some sort of power-sharing agreement with the opposition party, possibly similar to one that ended violence in Kenya earlier this year.

One of the few African leaders to criticize Mugabe, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa was not at the summit after he was rushed to the resort city's hospital Sunday. His vice-president, Rupiah Banda, said Monday that the 58-year-old Mwanawasa suffered a stroke and was in stable condition.

"That is really bad luck for us," said Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, noting the Zambian leader's absence could hurt attempts to put more pressure on Mugabe.

Kenya's quarrelling leaders appeared split on their country's reaction to the Zimbabwe election. Speaking in Nairobi Monday, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Mugabe should have been barred from the summit.

But his political rival, President Mwai Kibaki joined fellow AU leaders in backing calls for a unity government of both Mugabe and Tsvangirai supporters in the troubled southern African nation.

Vote fell short of standards: report

As the summit got underway Monday morning, a team that monitored Friday's election for the African Union issued a report saying the vote fell short of standards laid out by the group.

The observers cited violence ahead of the vote and noted that the opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, was denied equal access to the media during the campaign.

In the days leading up to the African Union summit, foreign ministers drafted a resolution obtained by Associated Press that condemned violence in Zimbabwe in general terms and called for dialogue, but did not criticize the run-off or Mugabe.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Sunday the African Union will lose credibility if it fails to isolate Mugabe.

Some African leaders have called for the president and opposition to engage in a power-sharing agreement.

Zimbabwe called a second round of voting after the opposition leader won more votes than Mugabe in the March 29 election, but failed to secure an outright majority.

Mugabe was lauded early in his rule of nearly three decades, but in recent years has been accused of ruining the economy and holding on to power through fraud and intimidation.

With files from the Associated Press