US President George W Bush called for an end to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's regime on Tuesday and pledged US support to help rebuild the country once he's gone, dpa reported.
"We urge others from the region to step up and join the growing chorus of voices calling for an end to Mugabe's tyranny," Bush said, adding it's "time for Robert Mugabe to go."
Zimbabwe is on the brink of a major cholera epidemic due to failing water infrastructure and is facing acute food shortages, the United Nations has warned. The country's economy has also collapsed under skyrocketing inflation.
Bush joined an increasingly large group of leaders calling on Mugabe, 84, to step down. French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday also called for Mugabe's resignation.
Cholera has already killed 600 people in Zimbabwe and thousands more are believed to be infected with the disease. Mugabe has ruled the country with an iron fist and his forces have brutally beaten and intimidated political opponents.
The UN has said about half of Zimbabwe's population is facing food shortages.