UK home alone in protest against Mugabe

The UK is expected to be the only EU country to choose not to send a minister to the EU-Africa summit next month (8-9 December) in protest at the attendance of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.

Sweden had opposed the attendance of the controversial president but this week (20 November) Development Minister Gunilla Carlsson confirmed that Sweden would be represented by a minister, though it had yet to be decided which minister. "We haven’t yet made that decision but we are not going to boycott it because that would really make it an issue about Zimbabwe and it’s EU-Africa," she told European Voice.

"My point of view [is] we should expose and not isolate. We are caring about the whole of Africa and the African people so there will be a good Swedish representative there," she added.

The Netherlands, which is also opposed to Mugabe’s attendance, is expected to be represented by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. The Netherlands is to ask to be the main speaker on behalf of the EU on human rights at the summit.

The Czech Republic Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek will not attend the summit in protest at Mugabe’s presence but Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg will attend in his place.

The Portuguese president sent out invitations to the summit in Lisbon last Friday (16 November) with one diplomat confirming an invitation had been sent to "his Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe", though it did not personally address Mugabe. "We did not soak our hands in that name," the diplomat added.

The UK is remaining adamant that no minister or senior official will attend if Mugabe travels to the summit. One diplomat said, however, that the UK wanted the summit to go ahead and that the UK did not rule out "some attendance" at the meeting.

Luis Amado, Portugal’s foreign minister, told foreign ministers this week (19 November) that human rights would be brought up in Mugabe’s presence, if he attends.

"We will organise a debate which will deliver a tough and clear message," he said.

The UK is expected to be the only EU country to choose not to send a minister to the EU-Africa summit next month (8-9 December) in protest at the attendance of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.