Mugabe invited to Brussels summit

President Robert Mugabe is free to join other African and European Union (EU) leaders at a summit scheduled for April in Brussels, a western diplomat has said. Topics for discussion at the two-day EU-Africa Summit will include peace, security, investment, climate change and migration.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (R) is greeted by Vice President Joice Mujuru (L)

Confusion over whether Mugabe would be travelling to Brussels arose when the state media quoted a cabinet minister saying that Mugabe, who is on the EU targeted sanctions list, had not been invited.

Other African leaders threatened to stay away from the Brussels meeting in solidarity with Mugabe, whom they recently elected AU deputy chairperson.

But EU ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia, who is also quoted in a Zim Independent newspaper report, says Mugabe was invited at the same time as other African leaders.

“He’s been invited as all the other African Heads of State, just as he’s been invited to previous EU-Africa summits,” Dell’Ariccia told SW Radio Africa Friday.

Asked about Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi’s remarks in the State media that Mugabe had been snubbed, Dell’Ariccia said the minister’s remarks came after the invitations, including Mugabe’s, had been issued.

The envoy said the summit is a platform for frank high-level discussions of issues of mutual importance to Africa and Europe and “so it is normal that President Mugabe will be invited”.

“The decision to invite Mugabe is independent from the restrictive measures and all members agree with that,” Dell’Ariccia said. He added that there are provisions in international law for people on targeted sanctions to attend such summits.

“But at the summit there will be open and frank discussion of different subjects and possibly, the situation of Zimbabwe will also be discussed,” he added.

An EU decision on the restrictive measures, still in place against President Mugabe and nine others, is expected around February 20^th, ahead of the Brussels summit.

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