More leaders join protest over Mugabe invite to Portugal summit

By Lance Guma
19 October 2007

Sweden and Finland have joined the list of countries opposed to an invite for Robert Mugabe to the EU-Africa summit set for December in Portugal. Denmark’s Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and Czech Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Alexandr Vondra, have all expressed concern at Mugabe attending but are yet to make decisions on a boycott if Mugabe decides to show up. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown set the tone by making it clear he will boycott the meeting in protest at allowing Mugabe such a platform. Only German Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered a different view, suggesting Mugabe should not be banned.

The December 8-9th summit remains in the balance after several African countries threw their weight behind Mugabe while threatening to boycott, if he was banned. On Thursday this week South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma repeated the call to allow Mugabe to attend. In response to a question in parliament Dlamini-Zuma argued the meeting, ‘is a forum that should be based on mutual respect and equal partnership.’ Others however believe such a move will legitimize Mugabe and give him the opportunity to grandstand on a global platform and seek to divert attention from his misrule.

Portugal meanwhile is desperate to save the summit from collapse, given that a similar meeting in 2003 was cancelled over disagreements, again involving Mugabe. The same set of circumstances threaten to re-occur. The Danes have suggested serious discussion on Zimbabwe and human rights violations at the summit as a pre-condition for Mugabe’s attendance. Others have suggested one of Mugabe’s ministers attend instead. This would be similar to a stance taken by the EU-Asia summit last year, which invited a minister to represent the military leadership of Burma.

Rose Benton from the Zimbabwe Vigil in London says Europe should not waiver on travel restrictions for Mugabe, simply for the convenience of the Portugal summit. This she says will compromise the whole objective of the targeted sanctions. She said their pressure group is weighing up their options should Mugabe decide to attend, but it was likely they will organize protests at the venue of the summit.

Commentators say Mugabe has played the race card to perfection. He has blamed Zimbabwe’s problems on Western countries, accusing them of imposing sanctions on his regime for grabbing white owned land. This argument they say has been used to try and mask gross human rights violations, the clampdown on free speech and the murder of anti-government opponents. Anyone opposed to Mugabe’s government is branded an agent of the West. Leaders from several African countries have bought into this racial paradigm and allowed Mugabe justification for his behaviour.