2008 — Zimbabwe's Power-Sharing Deal

On September 15, 2008, Zimbabwe's rival leaders signed the Global Political Agreement, a power-sharing deal meant to end the country's political crisis. President Robert Mugabe, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, and Arthur Mutambara signed the accord in Harare after months of violent, disputed elections. Under the deal, Tsvangirai became prime minister in a unity government while Mugabe remained president.

It was an uneasy arrangement, brokered by South Africa's Thabo Mbeki. Implementation stalled for months amid disputes over cabinet posts, and the unity government was only sworn in in February 2009. The agreement also committed Zimbabwe to writing a new constitution, adopted by referendum in 2013.