New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is to send a special envoy to Zimbabwe to discuss ways the international body can support fair elections in the African nation, a spokeswoman confirmed in New York on Tuesday.

Ban said on the sidelines of a UN summit on hunger in Rome that he would send Haile Menkerios of Eritrea to Zimbabwe with the approval of President Robert Mugabe.

On June 27 Mugabe is to face opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in a run-off election. Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Tsvangirai won more votes than Mugabe in the first round on March 27, but less than the 50 per cent needed for outright victory.

Human rights groups say Mugabe's ZANU(PF) party is responsible for nearly all the election-related violence that has plagued the nation for months.

Menkerios is the assistant secretary-general for political affairs. (dpa)