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Brown threatening Mugabe boycott Brown threatening Mugabe boycott
(about 6 hours later)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he will boycott a summit of European and African leaders if Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attends the event. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he would boycott a summit of African and EU leaders in December if Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe attends.
Mr Brown says Mr Mugabe's presence at the conference in Portugal will "divert attention" from important issues such as poverty, climate change and health. Mr Brown says Mr Mugabe's presence at the conference in Lisbon will "divert attention" from important issues such as poverty, climate change and health.
He told the Independent newspaper that Mr Mugabe has an EU travel ban for a reason - "the abuse of his own people". Zimbabwe was facing "a tragedy that requires the whole of the world to speak up and also to act", he told ITN.
The European Union-African Union summit will take place in Lisbon in December. But a Zimbabwean minister warned the UK should not pressure the EU in this way.
Mr Brown described the summit as a "serious opportunity" to forge stronger partnerships between Africa and the EU. "If the European Union agrees to be dictated to by an individual member state like Britain, a former colony, and brings its colonial machinations on Zimbabwe to the EU, that would be unfortunate," Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, the minister for information, told the BBC.
He stressed that President Mugabe was a head of state, and a member of the African Union, and would attend the summit in Portugal if invited.
There is widespread torture and mass intimidation of the political opposition Gordon Brown Your views on Brown's stanceThere is widespread torture and mass intimidation of the political opposition Gordon Brown Your views on Brown's stance
"I believe President Mugabe's presence would undermine the summit, divert attention from the important issues that need to be resolved," he said.
"In those circumstances, my attendance would not be appropriate."
He added that Britain had a responsibility to the people of Zimbabwe, who find themselves in an "appalling and tragic" situation.
'Compromise sought'
However, no invitation has yet been sent to Mr Mugabe, according to senior sources in the Portuguese government.However, no invitation has yet been sent to Mr Mugabe, according to senior sources in the Portuguese government.
The BBC's Europe editor, Mark Mardell, said he understood diplomats were being "very active in trying to find a compromise".The BBC's Europe editor, Mark Mardell, said he understood diplomats were being "very active in trying to find a compromise".
This could involve inviting another Zimbabwean representive, such as a junior member of the government or a civil servant, so that Mr Brown could attend, our correspondent said. This could involve inviting another Zimbabwean representative, such as a junior member of the government or a civil servant, so that Mr Brown could attend, our correspondent said.
Portugal, which holds the rotating EU presidency, is keen to invite every African leader for the summit on 8 and 9 December. Portugal, which holds the rotating EU presidency, is keen to invite every African leader to be at the summit on 8 and 9 December, but may let the African Union decide who should attend.
However, the Portuguese may let the African Union decide which leaders should attend. Humanitarian aid
BBC world affairs correspondent Allan Little said criticism from Britain, the old colonial power, was a double-edged sword, because in both Zimbabwe and South Africa, this could be portrayed as an attempt to re-assert the interests of the white minority. Mr Brown described the summit as a "serious opportunity" to forge stronger partnerships between Africa and the EU.
Denominations of bank notes have risen owing to levels of inflationIn order to allow Mr Mugabe to attend the conference, EU member states would have to convene before the summit and agree to lift the travel ban currently imposed on him. "I applaud the prime minister of Portugal for what he is trying to do to build stronger relations between Europe and Africa. This is a summit that is necessary for Africa's sake.
But Mr Brown is urging EU leaders to keep it in place. Denominations of bank notes have risen owing to levels of inflation"But of course it would be totally inappropriate for me to be there if President Mugabe [is]."
"There is no freedom in Zimbabwe: no freedom of association; no freedom of the press. He went on: "Four million people have left the country. Four million people on food aid because of famine by Christmas, 80% unemployment, life expectancy at 37."
"And there is widespread torture and mass intimidation of the political opposition," added Mr Brown, who was chancellor in 2004 when Jack Straw, foreign secretary at the time, was pictured shaking hands with the Zimbabwean leader at the UN. He said humanitarian aid was being stepped up and promised to press the UN Security Council for an envoy to "look and report on the situation".
Earlier the prime minister told the Independent that President Mugabe's presence "would undermine the summit, divert attention from the important issues that need to be resolved".
He added that Britain had a responsibility to the people of Zimbabwe, who found themselves in an "appalling" situation.
In order to allow Mr Mugabe to attend the conference, EU member states would have to convene before the summit and agree to lift the travel ban currently imposed on him.
But Mr Brown is urging EU leaders to keep it in place, saying there was "no freedom in Zimbabwe" and "widespread torture and mass intimidation of the political opposition".