Portugal facing stiff resistance over plans to invite Mugabe

By Tichaona Sibanda
19 April 2007

Most European Union countries will likely boycott a summit with African leaders set for Portugal in December if Robert Mugabe is allowed to travel there, Newsreel learned on Thursday.

Reports this week suggested Mugabe was likely to be allowed to travel to Portugal for a second summit between EU and African leaders. The summit has been postponed the last four years because of a disagreement between the two continents over whether Mugabe may attend.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado said that the EU was now determined the summit would be held in Lisbon in December, with African leaders united that Mugabe should also attend.

But the MDC’s chief representative in the UK Hebson Makuvise said Portugal is in danger of failing to get the necessary support from other EU nations for Mugabe to attend. Makuvise has already embarked on a diplomatic offensive among EU embassies in London on an anti-Mugabe campaign and has been told by diplomats that Portugal’s invitation to the dictator would weaken the diplomatic isolation of his regime that most European Union states are trying to maintain.

‘Portugal’s position now is that African leaders are united that Mugabe must attend but it’s exactly the opposite with the European Union. African leaders took a similar stance earlier this year and even threatened to boycott the summit in France. But in the end they all turned up while France was forced not to extend an invitation to Mugabe,’ Makuvise said.

He added that EU states are united in their efforts to see to it that they will not attend if Mugabe makes it to Portugal. And the Portuguese cannot afford
to lose the support of its counterparts.

‘It’s a tricky situation for Portugal but the main thing is they cannot afford to undermine efforts by other EU states to keep Mugabe under pressure for human rights abuses. Only yesterday (Wednesday) the EU stepped up pressure on Mugabe by adding five names of his deputy ministers to a list of top officials banned from the bloc and expressing strong concerns about human rights abuses,’ he added.

The MDC chief in the UK said a statement by ambassadors of the EU member states in Brussels also expressed strong concern at the rapidly deteriorating human rights, political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.

‘So can you tell me if these same people can turn around in December and sit in the same conference room with Mugabe in Portugal. What would have changed between now and December when everyone knows that Mugabe is immune to change,’ Makuvise added.