Zimbabwe sanctions face collapse after EU rift
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Your support makes all the difference.A summit between European Union and African leaders might be cancelled after a bitter rift among EU foreign ministers left smart sanctions against Zimbabwe on the verge of collapse.
Sharp exchanges at a meeting in Brussels yesterday left Europe's relations with Africa in disarray, as Britain and its allies clashed head-on with France and Portugal over the EU's efforts to put pressure on Harare. The ministers failed to agree on an extension of EU sanctions against Zimbabwe's elite which are due to expire next month. The issue will be referred to a meeting of EU ambassadors. The Greek presidency of the EU said that, without agreement on how to proceed, a Europe-Africa summit due to take place in Lisbon in April might be cancelled.
The rift leaves the future of sanctions in doubt, and raises the prospect that the visa ban on Zimbabwe's President, Robert Mugabe, and his allies, might collapse. In any event the freeze on assets of the Zimbabwean elite, and an arms export ban are likely to remain in place.
Britain is angry about a French government invitation to Mr Mugabe to attend a Franco-African meeting in Paris on 19 February, a day after the current sanctions regime expires.
Yesterday France refused to shift its position and its Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, said: "We invited Mr Mugabe to Paris and we hope he comes. We should apply flexible sanctions."
The UK had been reconciled to a deal under which London would not to block the Mugabe visit to Paris in exchange for French support for a renewal of sanctions.
But the talks hit a new hitch when Portugal expressed doubts about extending the visa ban. It argued that, if there was an extension, the measures should be watered down and the ability of one member state to veto another granting a visa should be removed.
Portugal is concerned that if it does not invite Mr Mugabe to Lisbon, southern African leaders will boycott the meeting.
However that met with a firm response from Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain. One EU diplomat said that the choice for Portugal was, "if they don't invite Mugabe then a number of African countries will not attend. But if they do invite Mugabe our heads of state will not attend".
Glenys Kinnock, the Labour MEP, praised the stance of the UK and its allies, arguing: "African governments cannot hold hostage everything that the EU wants to do to support the renaissance of Africa."
She added: "I take heart from the fact that the French have not had an easy ride, they haven't been allowed to brow-beat the rest of the EU."
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