UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said Tuesday that the world body supports the mediation efforts taken by regional groups in Africa to address the Zimbabwe issue.

    Migiro, who just returned from Africa, briefed the Security Council on the recent African Union Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

    Noting the "flawed" elections that produced illegitimate results, she said that "Zimbabwe will have to go through a political transition bringing together its people around a common project."

    "It will also need a process of national healing and reconciliation that should include wide-ranging and participatory national consultations," she said.

    Both the ruling ZANU-PF and opposition MDC parties have agreed to dialogue to resolve the current political impasse, and talks are ongoing, under South African mediation, she said.

    "The creation of a government of national unity, as a way forward, enjoys broad support in the region," she stated.

    Migiro took note of the African Union (AU)'s call for the Southern African Development Community to establish "a mechanism on the ground to support the mediation efforts."

    "The secretary-general (Ban Ki-moon) strongly supports this recommendation and calls for a speedy establishment of such a mechanism," she said.

    "I also reiterated the secretary-general's offer to put all the means at the UN's disposal at the service of SADC and the AU to strengthen the mediation process," she added.

    MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the March presidential election, but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off. Later, he refrained from taking part in the second round election, citing state-sponsored violence against his supporters.

    President Robert Mugabe was sworn in for a sixth term after being declared the winner of the June 27 run-off, in which he was the sole candidate.