Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will start a three week international tour on Saturday as he tried to build bridges with western donors.

Tsvangirai will meet United States President Barack Obama and other leaders in an attempt to persuade them to back the new unity government.

Tsvangirai insisted there was no more acrimony between him and longtime rival, Robert Mugabe.

That is the message he will be taking to Western leaders on his three-week tour.

Reports say Tsvangirai will meet Obama, UK Premier Gordon Brown, the German chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders.

They have all been reluctant so far to back Zimbabwe’s fledgling government, because Mugabe’s still in power.

Aid so far has been limited to humanitarian donations but the new government is desperate for the R80bn it needs to repair the economy.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman James Maridadi says the prime minister has high hopes of success but it is likely that Tsvangirai will have to explain ongoing stumbling blocks like farm invasions and restrictions on reporters before the West agrees to open its purse strings.