http://www.herald.co.zw/eu-keen-to-have-africa-at-summit/
EU keen to have Africa at summit
March 28, 2014
The European Union yesterday made a plea to African governments not to
boycott next week's EU-Africa Summit in Brussels, Belgium.
EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Aldo Dell'Ariccia said a lot had been
invested in preparing for the Summit of 64 Heads of State and Government.
However, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said permanent
representatives to the African Union had already informed their principals
of the Peace and Security Council's decision to boycott the summit if the
EU insisted on interfering with the composition of the continental
delegation.
AU members have asked why Eritrea and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic
have not been invited when they are full members of the bloc. At the same
time, the EU has invited Morocoo -- which ceased being a member in 1984
because Africa opposed its colonisation of SADR -- and Egypt, which remains
suspended following a military coup last year.
The EU also initially sent an invitation to Zimbabwe but not to President
Mugabe. A personal invitation to President Mugabe only came when he was
elected the AU's First Deputy Chair and the continent threatened to boycott
the summit if he was not present.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has also not been invited but an "invite"
was sent to his country, because there is an International Criminal Court
arrest warrant for him.
The AU has resolved not to co-operate with any attempt to haul a sitting
Head of State before the ICC.
Yesterday Ambassador Dell'Ariccia said, "The African Union, the African
continent should consider this summit important and we hope that it will
proceed considering there are also coming events that are important."I can
tell you at present that these recommendations of course came as a
surprise, we have to see how things follow from there. The preparations of
the Summit will continue as normal. If there is a decision on the side of
the African Union to postpone the event, then we will see the reaction of
the European Union."
Minister Mumbengegwi said Africa was expected to endorse the PSC's decision.
"The EU has no right whatsoever to interfere in any way in the composition
of the African Union delegation let alone the composition of individual
members of the African Union.
"This, they have done against the decision of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa
in January (that all members be invited).
"All the ambassadors in Addis Abba have reported to their capitals and the
capitals are going to respond to the recommendation of the Permanent
Representatives Council that until such time that there is agreement
between the two sides that there is sovereign equality between the two
sides and therefore none of the two sides should dictate to the other as to
who may or may not attend that summit. Until there is agreementand
understanding on that score then the summit should stand postponed.
"The capitals should not have any other option but to endorse that
recommendation because it is consistent with the decision taken by the
Heads of State and Government themselves in January."
Africa, Minister Mumbengegwi said, should re-consider its relations with
the EU until Europe treats the continent as an equal.
"Africa should say no. If all the capitals or the overwhelming majority of
the capitals reaffirm the decision that they took in January then this
Summit should be postponed and then the EU will be in a position to respect
us much better," he said.
Ambassador Dell'Ariccia said he remained hopeful that the Summit would go
ahead.
"Mobilising 64 Heads of State and Government is a complicated situation and
if the proposal to adjourn or postpone succeeds, then I am not sure if it
will be easy to find another date that will be suitable for the Summit.
This is of course something that can be decided at the highest level," he
said.
"We know that this has been a recommendation of the African Union Peace and
Security Council to the chair of the African Union. There is specific
sequence of the events that have to happen in order for this information to
be transmitted to the EU. At the moment it is just the recommendations
which are not engaging and it is not binding," he said.
Received on Fri Mar 28 2014 - 14:57:19 EDT