Mugabe on the agenda of the Lisbon Summit?
Neither Zimbabwe nor any other country is expected to be listed as a separate agenda item at the EU-Africa Summit. Last week the SADC (including South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania as well as Zimbabwe) countries threatened to pull out of the summit if that would be the case. Tomaz Salomão, executive secretary of the SADC, said that “SADC will not go to Lisbon to discuss Zimbabwe because the summit is not about Zimbabwe, but about relations between the EU and Africa.” Governance and human rights is, however, one of five areas for discussion. A discussion of human rights is also a precondition for lifting Mr Mugabe’s EU travel ban to allow him to go in the first place. (Times)
Opponents of Mugabe attending the Lisbon Summit are afraid that he may spring a propaganda coup about his future, according to the Times. An article in the International Herald Tribune discusses the role the colonial history plays on todays EU-Africa relationship. It says: “European and African leaders want to look ahead to better trade deals, meeting the challenge of immigration and other issues at a summit of continents this weekend. But the past continues to tug at their relationship, with colonial wounds still painful — and still carrying political weight.”
Spain has backed Britain in calling for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to stay away from the summit. “We would all prefer that he does not take part because he will not bring much and he would be a media distraction,” Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos told reporters. “What is important is to discuss subjects in depth and that his presence does not take up all the headlines.” (Mail&Guardian)
The President and Prime Minister of Finland have confirmed that they will represent Finland at the meeting (press release). Read more about who will attend the summit here.
