Europe urged to act on abuses in Africa

LISBON - Human rights groups urged European and African leaders gathering for their first summit in seven years on Friday to act on Sudan's Darfur crisis and confront Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe over rights abuses.

Activists hoped the more than 70 leaders from the world's largest trading bloc and its poorest continent would put rights high on the agenda at the summit, which aims to create fresh partnerships on issues like immigration and development.

Mugabe is seen by African leaders as an independence hero and many said they would not attend if he was not invited.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown boycotted the summit because Mugabe would be there.

A smiling Mugabe arrived to attend a Friday evening banquet with other leaders at the summit venue on the banks of Lisbon's River Tagus. He was greeted with a handshake from Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Joao Cravinho.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency and which was criticised for inviting Mugabe, said there was no intention of ducking tough issues.

"At this summit there are no taboos," Socrates told European and African business leaders meeting ahead of the gathering. "Everything can be freely discussed. Without this summit, Darfur, human rights or immigration would not be discussed.

"It was a historic mistake not to have had dialogue for seven years between the EU and Africa."

Previous attempts to hold the summit have failed over Mugabe's attendance but this time the EU, mindful of growing Chinese influence in Africa, decided to hold the meeting.

A group of 40 African and European parliamentarians was joined by 50 human rights groups in urging the leaders to tackle the plight of people in Sudan's Darfur region, where experts estimate 200,000 people have died due to conflict.

"MPs, campaigners and human rights activists are all asking the same question: how can our leaders ignore one of the world's worst crises?" asked Glenys Kinnock, a member of the European Parliament.

Outside the summit venue, rights groups erected a bed with actors depicting French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel sleeping next to Mugabe and Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

"CONFRONT REALITY"

Decades after most African countries became independent, relations between Europe and Africa remain clouded by colonial era issues.

Many Africans think Europe owes a debt to former colonies and European leaders have called for a change from paternalism that had characterised Europe's approach to the continent.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, on his first visit to Portugal, used a speech at Lisbon University to urge former colonial powers to pay compensation to the countries they once ruled. "If we don't confront reality, we must pay the price ... terrorism, migration, revenge," said Gaddafi.

Trade tensions were also apparent before the summit at a meeting of business leaders from the two continents.

The European Union says it needs to clinch new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with former European colonies in Africa before a World Trade Organisation waiver of preferential treatment expires on December 31.

Some African nations have complained they will face too much competition and are being strong-armed into signing new deals.

EU countries are trying to settle their own differences over the EPAs. Free trade supporters such as Sweden want to ensure local context rules do not hamper textiles and other exports from poor countries. But Italy and others are concerned about a possible rise in imports hurting their own producers.

European and African farmers protested near the summit.

"In Europe a cow gets two dollars per day and in Africa a human being doesn't get half a dollar," said Justus Lavi, treasurer at the Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum.

"After signing the EPAs, products from Europe, which are highly subsidised, will come and how can Africa compete?"