Mugabe's attendance at summit makes a mockery of Europe

1.16.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 10th Dec 2007

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was in Lisbon for an EU-Africa summit, which the Prime Minister is boycotting because he would not 'sit down at the same table' as him. The EU has a travel ban on Mugabe because of his human rights record, but Portugal has lifted the ban for the summit, which marks Mugabe's first visit to Europe in several years. Western critics accuse Mugabe of ruining Zimbabwe's economy, rigging elections and violently suppressing opposition.

The EU has a travel ban on Mugabe they should never have let him attend, this makes a mockery of any future bans.