(LONDON) - Britain announced Wednesday more targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe to force a "peaceful transition" of power, but experts questioned how effective they can be and said Africa must take the lead.

The 27-nation European Union is also discussing how to increase pressure on Mugabe as he prepares to go ahead with run-off elections Friday despite the withdrawal from the contest of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

There is general recognition that any solution to the crisis depends above all on Zimbabwe's African neighbours, who met Wednesday to discuss the situation amid signs they are turning on Mugabe.

Britain, the former colonial power, is nevertheless spearheading a diplomatic push -- including a ban on the Zimbabwe cricket team touring England next year, announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"We want to see a peaceful transition as soon as possible," he told lawmakers in London.

Brown noted that 160 individuals from the Zimbabwean government were already subject to financial and travel sanctions.

"What we are looking at is extending these bans to members of the families of these people. These bans will include financial sanctions, travel sanctions," he said.

"I believe the whole world has woken up to the evils that have been going on in Zimbabwe. I believe the whole international community, with a few exceptions, is now united in calling for action."

EU leaders threatened at a summit in Brussels last week to slap more sanctions on Mugabe's regime, saying it was "deeply concerned" by the surge in violence and intimidation.

The EU imposed sanctions on Mugabe's regime in 2002, and bolstered them last June. The next EU foreign ministers' meeting, at which further steps could in theory be agreed, is on July 22.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach reiterated Wednesday that "the electoral process under way in Zimbabwe is unacceptable."

"If it continues like this, it will not produce a representative government," she told AFP.

Brown meanwhile welcomed what he said was a growing number of African leaders turning against Mugabe.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Swaziland on Wednesday to discuss Zimbabwe -- although without South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, seen as one of the key figures in resolving the crisis.

"For the first time many (African leaders) have condemned both the regime and the behaviour of Mugabe," said Brown.

British companies should also ensure they are not helping to keep Mugabe in power, the British leader said.

But Sabine Machenheimer, an Africa expert at the Jane's security information group, cast doubt on the effectiveness of sanctions.

"They would have to be very targeted sanctions against the hardliners," she said, adding that in the past sanctions have fuelled "anti-colonial" sentiment in the African country.

"The efficiency of trade sanctions by the West is questionable because Zimbabwe's main trading partners are China and South Africa... The Western pressure will have to be in conjunction with regional measures," she added.

Tom Cargill, Africa programme director at the Chatham House think-tank, added: "I don't think that broad sanctions against Zimbabwe would be helpful at this time.

"Ordinary people in Zimbabwe are already struggling to survive and I think that any additional sanctions that are directed to them will make their lives unbearable," he added.

Brown said he wanted the Zimbabwe cricket team to be banned not only from touring England next year but also from the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup, which England is due to host.

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