Downing Street Says » EU-Africa Summit

Asked to clarify whether the Prime Minister had said he would not attend if Robert Mugabe was attending, or whether he would not attend if any representative of Robert Mugabe’s regime/government was present, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister was saying that the assumption was that Robert Mugabe would be attending and on that basis he would not attend.

Asked if it would be different if Robert Mugabe sent a deputy or a Minister for Culture, or any other representative, the PMS said that clearly that would be a different circumstance. The issue in relation to President Mugabe was that the Government did not want to divert attention from the important issues that the EU-Africa Summit needed to address.

Asked if it was only Robert Mugabe personally who would be seen as a diversion, the PMS said yes.

Asked if it was the Prime Minister’s plan to attend the summit, when in similar summits it was only the Presidency and the Commission who were expected to attend, the PMS said that the Prime Minister would have been expected to attend.

Asked if the Prime Minister had had consultations with other leaders in the European Union (EU) or African Union (AU) before taking the step on Zimbabwe, the PMS said there had been discussions with other members of the EU.

Asked if any other EU countries such as Germany would follow suit, the PMS said it was a question for them.

Asked why the thinking had changed on public interventions in Zimbabwe by the UK, the PMS said that what the Prime Minister was setting out in his article in the Independent was all of the positive action that the Government was taking, to deal with the situation in Zimbabwe; the Prime Minister called for an EU envoy to deal with humanitarian issues on Zimbabwe; the Prime Minister said that the UK will raise the issue of Zimbabwe at the UN Security Council meeting next week, with a proposal for a UN envoy on Zimbabwe; he raised the possibility of extending the sanctions that related to senior members of the Zanu PF regime; he stressed that he was very supportive of the efforts of President Mbeki through the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and AU process and that the Government were announcing today £8 million of extra of humanitarian support. The Government set out a whole series of positive steps today in order to deal with the situation in Zimbabwe and to deal with the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Put that there was an acceptance that the quiet diplomacy track had not had the desired effect and that it was time to be more public about it, the PMS said that the Prime Minister did not want there to be any lingering uncertainty about the issue of his attendance at the EU-Africa Summit, but he also wanted to set out all the positive steps that the Government were taking.

Asked if the current ban on Mugabe would prevent him from attending, the PMS said that in order for Mugabe to attend the EU would have to temporarily grant exemption to the visa ban. Asked if it had been the assumption that that could happen, the PMS said that it appeared to be the assumption; the Prime Minister was clear that the assumption was President Mugabe was attending and on that basis he would not attend.

Asked if there was any response from the AU as presumably it was up to them to choose their delegation, the PMS said that the Government had not had any response that he was aware of that morning. The PMS went on to say that the Government wanted the EU-Africa Summit to be a success and work with the AU to deal with the issues in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa.

1 Comment »

EU-AFRICA SUMMIT 2007

I think it will even be better if Britain did’nt attend the upcoming EU-Africa summit in Lisbon Portugal. After-all nothing good come other than miseries to African people from the europeans. If Gordon Brown did’nt know the history of the atrocities commited by the Europeans in Africa, he should seek for one. It would’ve been better if African Leaders even boycotted the summit,b,cos it’s of no use, it’s like a case of someone causing your sickness, at the same time applying the treament, the sickness will never be heal. That is the case of the Europeans to Africans. The former name of Zimbabwe—Southern Rhodesia—reminds us of the bitter past from 1889 to 1922 the country was run as a British mandate by a commercial company set up by royal charter—Cecil Rhodes’ British South Africa Company (BSA). All the wealth of the country was robbed into the hands of the British invaders and murderes. On 12 September 1890 Rhodes raised the British flag and formally “took possession of Mashonaland and all it contained. When he conquered the Ndebele region by military invasion,the opposition of the indigenous people was declared (rebellion) and virtually all their lands and cattles passed into white hands. And these happen not only in Southern Rhodesia which is nowadays Zimbabwe, the Germans did the same in Namibia, King Leopold II of Belgium (Heart of Darkness)in Congo you name it. I think, it’s time to let the sleeping Dog lies and live Africans alone, and less accussing of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. The sin of Robert Mugabe is for gaining back what belongs to the Zimbabwians people, the so called seizing of white farmers land which —Cecil Rhodes & Co, they bought from their Queen, Elibeth II in Zimbabwe (ludicrous)signed under the barrel of a cannon. The only true friend of the Africans are the Chinese, they made their first contacts with Africans in 1414 before the Europeans aggressors came, the Chinese brougt trade trade and progress, why the Europeans latter brought their evil thought’s and wicked (Slavery and latter the Colonisation) which the meetings was held and presided over on how to divide Africa Continent by Otto von Bismarck with delegates from 13 european countries in the Reichskanzler palace in Wilhelmstrasse 77 House of the Berliner conference in 1884 in berlin Germany. Africa was enslave,rbbed, only to be left in sorrow and miseries which is still going on till today.
There is another interesting event developing now, which Africans must not and never to let it happen. Is the so called US-Africa Command, these is a plot by the Europeans and America to annex Africa and finish their uncompleted business of colonisation. The evidences is very clear, the Chinese came for the second, they brought trade and prosperities, why the West is bringing Warships and their Military machine in the name of Africom to unleashed the remain of their evil acts and miseries they left behind for the Africans. African Leaders! Open your eyes don’t allow these coming calamities to prevail in african soil. remember the past, from the past you must learn. NO TO AFRICOM ON AFRICAN SOIL, GO AME-EUROPA-GO. If Africom succeed on African soil, well Ground will have a long story to tell the outside World.
Comment by Sunny Adams Ombude,Esq. — 30 Oct 2007 on 6:23 pm | Link

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» Thursday, September 20, 2007

EU-Africa Summit

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