Egypt ? Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe entered an African summit accompanied by the meeting’s host Monday, a sign that African leaders won’t shun him despite Western demands they take a tough stance over his re-election in a tainted ballot.

But behind the scenes, some leaders were pushing for Mugabe to share power with his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, who dropped out of Friday’s runoff election after allegedly state-sponsored killings and beatings of his supporters.

While many African countries – including regional powerhouse South Africa – were unwilling to condemn Mugabe, criticism by the U.S. and Europe only mounted.

France said Monday it considered Mugabe’s government “illegitimate,” and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the African Union to reject the result of the runoff.