Norway had a torrid time trying to mediate between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government.
mediate between two countries which are at war
Things might be different if a trusted outsider were available to mediate between Mr Mugabe and the opposition.
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has put forth his own initiative, offering to mediate between the Israeli and Palestinian sides in Cairo as soon as possible.
Their role was spiritual or supernatural -- to mediate between the cosmological forces: the sky, the earth and the world, each of which is represented by a god.