Mugabe in spotlight as EU/Africa summit opens in Portugal

By Tererai Karimakwenda
07 December, 2007

The global media had it’s eye on the European Union/Africa summit that began in Lisbon Friday, amidst all the controversy over the attendance of Robert Mugabe. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has stayed away as promised and several anti-Mugabe groups are in Lisbon to protest his presence and to highlight the disastrous results of his failed policies back home.

Early reports on the first summit day show that Mugabe had already invited attention after he commandeered a plane to take him to Lisbon on Thursday, leaving hundreds of passengers due to fly from London to Harare stranded for more than six hours at Gatwick Airport. Arriving in Portugal Mugabe is reported to have slipped out a side exit at the airport, avoiding the many waiting journalists.

In Lisbon our reporter Lance Guma said that Mugabe is dominating the headlines and he had switched hotels as rumours circulated that dramatic stunts by protestors were being planned. Central Intelligence Operatives have been seen everywhere.

Guma also reports that a billboard on one of the main roads leading to the summit venue expressed the sentiment of many on the ground, that Mugabe is not welcome. The billboard read: "Mugabe Rascita, you are not welcome," meaning Mugabe racist, you are not welcome.

The issue of Mugabe’s attendance has derailed the summit for 7 years now. This time around the E.U. decided that the event should not be jeopardised over the Zimbabwe crisis because there were many important developmental issues at stake in Africa.

As the summit got underway Friday Nobel Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu urged E.U. leaders to confront Mugabe on his human rights abuses. He said their silence would be interpreted as support. Speaking to a Portuguese radio station the revered former Archbishop said the summit should be taken as an opportunity to develop a more equal relationship between Europe and Africa, but fundamental rights should not suffer.

Human rights activist Peter Tatchell, who once tried to arrest Mugabe for human rights abuses, believes the Portuguese authorities should arrest Mugabe for torture otherwise they are betraying the people of Zimbabwe. He said that they should enforce the UN Convention Against Torture, which they ratified in 1984.

In a statement released Friday Tatchell said: "Mugabe has massacred more black Africans than even the murderous apartheid regime in South Africa. His tyrannical government is guilty of detention without trial, torture, rape, extra-judicial killings, media censorship, financial corruption, election fraud, mass starvation and the violent suppression of strikes and protests.”

Among the groups protesting Mugabe’s presence are members of the UK based Zimbabwe Vigil. Guma said they were going to perform a play at the summit venue, portraying Mugabe as a ruthless dictator.

Zimbabwean youth groups are also well represented in Portugal. Promise Mkwananzi and Washington Katema from the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)and Alois Mbawara from the London based Free-Zim Youth are in attendance as part of a SADC Youth group. Mkwananzi reports that the EU/Africa Youth Summit passed several resolutions at their final session Thursday evening.

He said: “The youth called upon all nations in the EU and Africa to refrain from dictatorial tendencies, to uphold democratic principles, the rule of law and law and order. They did not mention Zimbabwe specifically in the resolution communiqué but during the buildup to that Zimbabwe took centre stage.” Ghanaian President and chairman of the African Union, John Kufour, is expected to address the youth groups Friday.

Mkwananzi also reported that 2 delegates representing the Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) were exposed as ZANU-PF operatives. He said the group has their offices at the ruling party headquarters in Harare and both delegates are too old to be leading youth organizations. The head of the ZYC delegation, Farai Mutangandira, is also known to be a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.

Many more protests about Mugabe are expected in Lisbon on Saturday.