via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Zimbabwe will not be represented at the EU-AU Summit 30 March 2014
PRESIDENT Mugabe will not attend this week’s Africa-European Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha, said yesterday that President Mugabe would not travel to Brussels while Zimbabwe would also not be represented.
Ambassador Bimha said the President’s decision was motivated by the EU’s blatant disregard for the AU whose Peace and Security Council met last week and determined that Europe was holding Africa in contempt.
The AUPSC also advised member states not to attend the Summit.
Ambassador Bimha said consultations were still ongoing to decide whether other AU members should attend or not. He added that unconfirmed reports suggested AU Chair wanted the Summit to proceed as planned.
“President Mugabe will not be travelling to the Summit and there will be no Zimbabwean delegation at the Summit. This means our seat will be empty.
“The European Union did not implement what was agreed on at the AU Summit in Addis Ababa. The continent has agreed that it is not the duty of the EU bloc to choose the delegation of the member states.
“Consultations are still ongoing within Sadc and the continent for a common position. I have spoken with Dr Tax (Sadc Executive Secretary) in the afternoon and she was still consulting with other Heads of State in the region, but what is certain as of today is that there will be no Zimbabwean delegation at the Summit.
“Yes, there are some unconfirmed reports that we have received that the chairman said the Summit is still going ahead.”
The EU and AU are scheduled to meet in Brussels on April 2 and 3 to discuss strategic priorities between the two continents. The blocs will also review the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, which seeks to deepen relations through a “strengthened political partnership and enhanced co-operation at all levels”.
Ostensibly on account of its diplomatic row with Zimbabwe, the EU initially did not invite President Mugabe and only invited Zimbabwe. In diplomatic culture, Heads of State should be invited in their personal capacities.
The EU denied Grace Mugabe a visa to accompany her husband to the meeting.
COMMENTS
It will be more interesting when they give bob the destroyer leadership of these organs.
He will tear all of them apart.
That will be good riddance anyway.
Africa will then wake up to the antics of the madman.
MDC should send a representative.We can not lose any economic advantages because someone needs a harlot tagging along. MDC should take advantage of the situation, I am sure no one will turn them away .
Thembani, does MDC have a head of state or government? While nobody will lose sleep over Bob and the Wailers missing a shopping holiday, being represented by anybody from MDC given the ongoing drama won’t serve any purpose. These are serious summits. Let us have an empty chair at the summit, it will demonstrate to the world that indeed we have a leadership vacuum in Zimbabwe that must be filled quickly!!!
I could gladly represnt the country ,just send me a ticket.clearly our leaders dont deserve to go.their heads are ful of air .they depend on grace for everything
MDC is fast asleep.
Why Zimbabwe ? Let’s stand up and act now and force off old man . Zimbabweans we can’t be talk of everyday worldwide. Like Marikana miners’ courage
EU 1 AU 0
It was by grace that Zimbabwe was included. We were happy because we had not been invited. Now Grace has come in and that grace is gone.
The EU outplayed Mugabe. They don’t need him at the summit because they know he will do anything to polarise the West and Zimbabwe through the predictable grandstanding. Mugabe is too ill to make the calculations now and he took the bait. EU 1, Zimbabwe 0. Next.