Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2014 23:22:54 +0200
Several African States Boycott the EU Summit in Belgium
South Africa and Zimbabwe leaders say they will not attend until the
continent's peoples are treated equally
By <http://www.globalresearch.ca/author/abayomi-azikiwe> Abayomi Azikiwe
Global Research, April 02, 2014
africa2
A planned summit between the European
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Unionhttp://cdncache1-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png (EU) and
the African nation-states has been met with controversy and rejection. The
Republics of Zimbabwe and South Africa, two very important states in
Southern Africa which won their independence through formidable mass and
armed struggles, have stated that their leaders will not attend the
gathering in Belgium.
Controversy surfaced over the way in which the 4th EU-Africa Summit has been
organized. Zimbabwe expressed objections when President Robert Mugabe was
extended an invitation but his wife, First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe, a public
figure who works on children's rights and education, was denied a visa.
Zimbabwe said that it would not attend and was deeply offended over how the
EU was approaching the meeting. A Zimbabwe Herald editor interviewed the EU
envoy to Zimbabwe where he revealed that the approach to the meeting was not
to invite the African
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Unionhttp://cdncache1-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png (AU) but
individual continental states.
This interview involving the upcoming Summit included a question from Herald
news editor Herbert Zharare which asked EU envoy Aldo Dell'Ariccia to
"Explain how you chose participants? On the list there are some countries
like Egypt where President Mohamed Morsi was deposed with the assistance of
the military and the AU has made its position clear on that."( March 28)
Dell'Ariccia responded saying "You have to consider that the EU-Africa
Summit is the meeting between the European
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African continent. I want to be very clear on that, it is not the
AU-European Union meeting. Participation is not guided by the membership of
the African Union."
The EU envoy continued by pointing out that "This event is the highest
incidence of political dialogue between the European
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Unionhttp://cdncache1-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png and Africa
and the intention of the European Union is to make it possible to talk to
all who are relevant to the subject of the event, investing in people,
prosperity and peace and be able to talk very frankly with them and to have
progress in these partnerships between the European Union and this region.
That is why Egypt has been invited despite the fact that it has been
suspended from the African Union."
Such a response exposes the aim of bypassing the regional structures
established by the AU and to in fact defy decisions made by the continental
organization in relationship to the seizure of political power outside an
electoral framework, which is a cardinal principle of the body. Egypt was
suspended by the AU after the coup against ousted President Mohamed Morsi by
the military leader Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
A delegation from the AU has visited Egypt in an effort to resolve the
internal crisis.
South African President Announces His
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Withdrawalhttp://cdncache1-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png While
Sudan and Eritrea Are Not Invited
On March 31, President Jacob Zuma announced that he would not participate in
the Summit. South Africa maintains good relations with Zimbabwe and other
states throughout the region of the sub-continent.
In an article published by Business Day Live it reports that the
head-of-state said "I think that time must pass wherein we are looked (on)
as subjects, we are told who must come, who must not come.. It is wrong and
causes this unnecessary unpleasantness," President Zuma told the SABC on
March 30 during a campaign stop in the Western Cape for the May 7 national
elections. (March 31)
"I thought the AU (African Union) and EU was equal organizations
representing two continents, but there is not a
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them who must decide for others." Although Zuma personally will not attend,
the South African government will send representatives according to Business
Day Live.
This same above-mentioned article says "The Department of International
Relations and Co-operation said on Sunday (March 30) that Mr. Zuma would not
participate in the April 2-3 summit and that International Relations and
Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane would lead South Africa's
delegation. Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies will also participate."
Later the article says that "On Monday (March 31), the EU's ambassador in
South Africa, Roeland van de Geer, said the organization was surprised and
disappointed, adding that Mr. Zuma had confirmed his participation in a
letter on March 25."
The EU claims that the Republic of Sudan has not been invited at all to the
Summit. President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has been targeted by the West for
years.
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors have issued warrants for
al-Bashir's arrest over alleged crimes against humanity involving Khartoum's
handling of the war against rebels in Darfur. Despite the refusal of the AU
to acknowledge these legal actions by the ICC, the EU says that al-Bashir's
appearance in Brussels could prompt his arrest.
Eritrea in the Horn of Africa has also not been invited to the EU-Africa
Summit over alleged human rights violations. The Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic (SADR) from the Western Sahara, which is still under the occupation
of the U.S.-backed monarchy in Morocco, has not been invited as well because
of the objections by Rabat.
It appears as if some African leaders will attend the Summit. Reports
indicate that the president of Zambia, Michael Sata, and others had arrived
in Brussels.
Nonetheless, the AU Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) had advised
during late March for member-states to stay away from the meeting.
Irrespective of how many African leaders will attend the
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leading states and presidents will damage the credibility of the meeting.
The EU along with the U.S. has been escalating their military and political
interventions in the affairs of independent African states. Both Washington
and Brussels have maintained sanctions against the government of Zimbabwe
and Sudan despite the continuing opposition from the AU governing
structures.
Both the EU and the U.S. are involved with the training of a military force
in Libya three years after the Pentagon-NATO war of regime-change in this
North African state. EU Naval Forces along with the Pentagon also maintain
warships off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden which is one of the
most lucrative shipping lanes in the world.
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