Mugabe 'free to attend summit'

2007-10-05 15:11

Pretoria - The situation in Zimbabwe is a disaster but President Robert Mugabe should still be entitled to attend a Europe-Africa summit later this year, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

During talks in Pretoria with President Thabo Mbeki, who had been tasked with mediating between the Zimbabwean opposition and ruling party, Merkel made clear her disquiet about the situation across South Africa's northern border.

Merkel said: "The situation is a very difficult one. It's a disastrous one, which I very clearly stated in our conversation."

However, she stopped short of backing calls for Mugabe to be barred from a summit between African Union and European Union leaders in Lisbon in December, which British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had threatened to boycott if the Zimbabwean head of state attends.

Merkel said: "I have said right from the start that the president of the republic of Germany wanted to invite all African countries to that summit and it's up to countries themselves to decide how they are going to be represented at the table.

"I also said to Mbeki, obviously we will make all our assessments heard. We will also raise all our criticisms. We would do so in the presence of each and everyone and obviously each and everyone has the right to attend."

- AFP