Time LIVE reported analysts immediately described the move as a waste of time given that Mugabe himself is not fully recognised by much of the international community after a disputed June 2008 election.

Gbagbo, who last year in December 2010 said the Zimbabwean leader was right in his incessant opposition to the West, sent Ivorian ambassador to South Africa Zoge Abie to Harare to solicit diplomatic support ahead of an African Union (AU) summit at the end of January 2011.

The summit will discuss the developments in the West African cocoa-producing country. Gbagbo insists he is the legitimate leader after opposition presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara won a rerun in November.

The envoy met acting Vice President John Nkomo at his Munhumutapa offices as Mugabe is on his annual leave.

An official at his Pretoria offices confirmed Abie had made the trip.

"He travelled to Zimbabwe but only he can tell you the reason of the meeting," said the official, who refused to give her name.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, George Charamba, told the media the envoy had come to brief the country's leadership on developments in his country, where Gbagbo is under mounted pressure to relinquish power after a disputed poll which left the West African country with two presidents.

Ivory Coast has been in turmoil since a November 28 presidential run-off that Western powers and African states say was won by Ouattara, a former International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive widely recognised by the international community.

He is currently holed up in an Abidjan hotel without much room to manoeuvre and is protected by United Nations peace keeping troops.

Analysts said the visit was an indication of Gbagbo's desperation to cling onto power.

"He is aware of the fact that the AU is going to discuss his country so he is seeking to drum up support not only in Zimbabwe but in the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC) region for his position. I don't think it will make a significant impact because the UN has said it doesn't recognise him," said analyst Takura Zhangazha.

University of Zimbabwe analyst John Makumbe said Gbagbo was seeking to get a few notes from Mugabe on how to get out of trouble.

"He is hoping to learn from Mugabe what to do next. He is seeking support from a fellow dictator on how to resist democracy after losing an election and it's sad and embarrassing that dictators are learning from each other how to hold on to power illegitimately."