MEPs outraged at Mugabe's invitation to Lisbon

MEPs have reacted with fury to news that Robert Mugabe will travel to Europe next week to attend a summit of EU and African leaders in Lisbon.

African leaders had threatened to cancel the meeting if the president of Zimbabwe was not invited, while UK premier Gordon Brown now says he will boycott the summit because of Mugabe’s presence.

EU sources say the Portuguese have drawn up elaborate plans to try to minimise Mugabe’s impact on the event.

But UK Tory MEP Geoffrey van Orden today led a chorus of criticism at the decision to allow him to attend.

He said, “The British government should exercise its right to block the Portuguese government obtaining an exemption to the EU's travel ban on Mugabe, and it should not dignify the summit with a British minister of state.
 
"It should never have come to this. The British government should have been more effective in its international diplomacy, and the EU should at least have made some effort to live up to its own principles.
 
"It is an affront to the millions of Zimbabweans abused and dispossessed by Mugabe that he is being given a platform in Lisbon. So much for EU concerns about human rights and good governance in Africa,” said van Orden, who has led parliament’s opposition to the Mugabe regime.
 
"It is not surprising that many in Britain regard the EU's efforts at assuming a meaningful role on the world stage as, at best, empty posturing, and at worst, a cynical pursuit of someone else's foreign policy interests."

His comments were echoed by UK centre-right deputy Nirj Deva, who called for Mugabe to be arrested "the minute he steps foot on European soil" for alleged crimes against humanity.

He said, "He has broken international criminal law and, therefore, should face the full weight of international criminal law.

"His presence in Lisbon will be an affront to international law, human dignity and everything we are trying to do in the EU as a partner in Africa."

"An arrest warrant should be issued against him as soon as he arrives."

UK Socialist deputy Glenys Kinnock said,"It is unacceptable that Mugabe and his Zanu PF entourage will attend the summit.

"This summit is meant to promote policies on good governance, human rights, democracy and strategies to tackle African poverty.

"Mugabe knows little and cares even less about these priorities, as the suffering of the Zimbabwean people amply demonstrates. Mugabe's presence in Lisbon will achieve nothing other than allowing him an opportunity to gloat and strut."

 

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