United Nations, July 22, SPA -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Zimbabwean ruling party and the opposition for talks on ending the African country’s political turmoil. In a statement through his spokesperson on Monday, he welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by both parties in Zimbabwe on Monday. President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai—under the mediation of South African President Thabo Mbeki—agreed to discuss the possibility of a power-sharing government to resolve the country’s current political crisis. Ban “encourages all sides to engage, in good faith, in serious talks that would lead to a lasting solution to the political crisis and address the urgent economic and humanitarian needs of the Zimbabwean people,” his office said in a statement. “The United Nations is committed to support these mediation efforts through its participation in the recently-formed Reference Group, " the secretary-general’s office said. The Reference Group comprises the United Nations, the African Union, and the South African Development Community. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/575965