French trade unions help block Mugabe invite to France summit

By Violet Gonda
15 February 2007

The Franco Africa summit started in Cannes, France on Thursday without Zimbabwe largely due to pressure on the Chirac government from its own labour movement and human rights bodies in the European Union. The state controlled Herald newspaper confirmed that Zimbabwe was not going to attend the biennial summit. The government spin was that Zimbabwe had declined an invitation to the Summit due to conditions tied to the invite. According to the Herald, diplomatic sources said the invitation requested that Robert Mugabe not attend the summit and instead delegate either one of the Vice Presidents or the Foreign Minister.

But Euan Wilmshurst the Director of Action for Southern Africa said a very clear European-wide campaign spearheaded by all three French trade union federations had put clear pressure on the French government to understand that sanctions are sanctions. He said: “I think there is no doubt in our minds that whatever the French government and others may choose to spin, there is no doubt that this in itself must have put a good degree of pressure on them.”

Wilmshurst said when you see an unprecedented joint statement from the three main French trade unions, who don’t have a history of working together, threatening action should Robert Mugabe or his cronies are invited – would certainly put the Chirac government under pressure, especially during an election year.

ACTSA said the French trade union federations called for their government to uphold the sanctions or face action on the streets of Cannes.

Some analysts say the French authorities may have used cautious diplomatic language because they could not tell the Zimbabwe government that they were not welcome but may very well have put conditions that would make it very unlikely for the Mugabe regime to attend.

One critic said: “Zimbabwe was invited to the conference on the condition that they didn’t actually turn up.”

ACTSA, joined by trade unions, NGO’s, churches and faith groups from across the EU will now turn to Portugal who will hold the EU Presidency in the second half of the year. It’s reported that Portugal is hosting the forthcoming EU-Africa Summit and has indicated it would invite all African countries, including Zimbabwe.

However, Wilmshurst said: “What we have seen through this is that the global solidarity is growing hugely on the issue of Zimbabwe…I think we are seeing a sizeable shift and I don’t think it can be much longer that Mugabe and his cronies can continue to ignore the pressure that is being put on them."

Meanwhile the European Union Council is expected to renew the targeted sanctions on members of the regime for another year from the 20th February.