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afrol News, 27 January - The European Union's council of Foreign Ministers today failed to reach an agreement on a renewal of the targeted sanctions, including a travel ban, in place against the Zimbabwean authorities, which expire on 18 February. President Robert Mugabe will attend a Franco-African summit in Paris the very next day. According to the current Greek Presidency of the EU, the Council today "had an exchange of views on the common position concerning some restricted measures against Zimbabwe," indicating the discussions had been rough. No conclusion was reached, but the Council was to "further discuss the issue in the light of that exchange of views." Most EU states, in particular Britain and the Netherlands, had urged the Council to renew the EU sanctions that prevent senior Zimbabwean officials - including President Mugabe - from travelling to Europe. The sanctions were put in place by the EU on 18 February 2002, "following the organisation of elections considered as not free and fair, political violence used notably against the opposition, serious violations of human rights and restrictions on the media," the Greek EU Presidency recalls. These EU sanctions also include an embargo on the sale, supply or transfer of arms and technical advice, assistance or training related to military activities and an embargo on the sale or supply of equipment that could be used for internal repression, as well as a travel ban on certain members of the government of Zimbabwe and others "bearing a particular responsibility for the observed violations." Following an official French invitation to President Mugabe to attend the February Franco-African summit, the renewal of the sanctions had however been disputed. French President Jacques Chirac - himself under pressure from most African Heads of State to invite Mr Mugabe - has called for "dialogue" on human rights with the Zimbabwean President. It is assumed that the renewal of sanctions failed over French protests.
Also the Portuguese government is reported to have supported the French point of view of lifting the travel ban. Portugal is also under pressure from its Lusophone ex-colonies to invite the Zimbabwean government to a Europe-Africa summit due to take place in Lisbon in April. Portugal wants to avoid the embarrassment experienced by the Danish government last year, when a Europe-Africa summit had to be moved from Copenhagen to Maputo (Mozambique) after a controversy over whether to invite Mr Mugabe. The new French and Portuguese policies towards Zimbabwe - especially inviting Mr Mugabe to Paris - has angered several European countries and the Zimbabwean opposition. The British government recalled that sanctions had only been put in place after several attempts to discuss human rights with President Mugabe had proven a failure. French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, however yesterday repeated: "We invited Mr Mugabe to Paris and we hope he comes. We should apply flexible sanctions." The Zimbabwean opposition, led by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has called for continued international pressure against the Mugabe regime, which it holds responsible for "rising cases of torture" and other human rights violations. Pressure against Zimbabwe - and the ongoing economic collapse - had led to speculations that the ruling ZANU-PF party was considering a coalition with the MDC, sending President Mugabe into exile. The Harare opposition newspaper 'Daily News' also was disappointed after it found Mr Chirac joining a "conspiracy against Zimbabwe." It was not difficult to see "the hand of the South Africans and the Nigerians in this plot to weaken even further the EU stance against the Mugabe government," the Harare daily noted. South Africa and Nigeria had been key African countries in preventing even further isolation of Zimbabwe's regime.
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