Zimbabwe cancels visit by U.N. torture investigator

Manfred Nowak learned that his mission had been canceled after he arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, en route to Zimbabwe, the United Nations said in a news release.

Zimbabwe said it canceled the mission to allow for consultation with southern African leaders over the country's power-sharing agreement, the United Nations said.

Though Nowak applauded the consultation planned for Thursday in Harare, he said it was not a valid reason for the government to cancel his mission.

The ban comes amid renewed tension between Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe. The two formed a power-sharing deal after a disputed presidential election that prompted months of controversy. The unity government has bickered constantly since it was formed in February, and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party has accused Mugabe's Zanu-PF of human rights violations.