|
Cabinet clash as Blair agrees to lift
Mugabe ban A cabinet row erupted yesterday after Downing Street signalled that it was preparing to strike a deal with France to allow Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, to attend a Paris summit next month despite an EU travel ban. Robin Cook, Leader of the Commons, became the third minister to oppose Mr Mugabe being allowed to attend the Franco-African summit. However as he was condemning the hardship caused by Mugabe's regime, Downing Street indicated it was ready to drop a British veto on the visit to secure French approval for sanctions against Zimbabwe for another year. The travel sanctions on Zimbabwe's ruling elite are due to expire the day before the summit next month. France equally needs British approval for the visit, since both the renewal of sanctions and a one-off waiver require the backing of all 15 EU member states. Glenys Kinnock, a Labour Euro-MP, said yesterday that behind the scenes EU talks were under way that might allow the visit to take place. A decision to allow Mr Mugabe to visit Paris would be highly embarrassing for Mr Blair, given the way the Government urged England's cricketers to pull out of their forthcoming World Cup match in Zimbabwe. Mr Blair's official spokesman said Britain had received a formal French request to waive the ban on leading Zimbabwean politicians to enable Mr Mugabe to attend. The spokesman said the Government would consider the request and respond in "due course". However, he indicated that Britain's main objective was to secure the renewal of the sanctions. Mr Mugabe and 78 of his closest associates face the EU travel ban and their assets in Europe have been frozen. All the indications are that Mr Blair will agree to an exemption for Mr Mugabe in return for France agreeing to renew the sanctions. Downing Street said yesterday that Mr Mugabe had attended a world food summit in Rome in June and that a number of other Zimbabwean ministers had attended meetings in Europe despite the sanctions. In the Commons on Wednesday, Mr Blair refused to promise that Britain would block the French invitation. Mr Cook told MPs yesterday he wanted to see the travel ban upheld by all 15 countries who voted for it, including France. He expressed "particular abhorrence" for the regime's interference in food distribution with "political motivation". Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary, said the Zimbabwean president "was not welcome" in Europe. Clare Short, the International Development Secretary, was more outspoken. She said it would be "disgraceful" if Mr Mugabe was invited to Paris. She told the Commons International Development Committee: "It is the thought of seven or eight million people starving and the government bringing it about." The Mulindwas
communication group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" |
