An uncomfortable trip, with tongue lashings and protests

According to the BBC today, Mugabe received a tongue lashing from Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. He is attending the EU/AU Summit in Lisbon this weekend.

Mrs Merkel has been tasked with expressing the EU’s concerns about the situation in Zimbabwe, where Mr Mugabe is accused of economic mismanagement, failure to curb corruption and contempt for democracy.

“The situation in Zimbabwe concerns us all, in Europe as in Africa,” she said. “We don’t have the right to look away when human rights are trampled on.”

The video on the BBC site – available via this link – contains footage of the Zim Vigil protesters in action.

The Zim Vigil website carries a press release information about a protest that had been planned for today:

Zimbabwean exiles gathered in Lisbon are to display a huge banner on Saturday (8th December) protesting against President Mugabe’s attendance at the EU/AU Summit. The banner reads ‘Mugabe you’d be more welcome in the Hague’ – a reference to the International Criminal Court.

The banner, measuring 100 feet X 30 feet, will be laid out in Centro Comercial Vasco da Gama outside Gare do Oriente. It will be signed by Zimbabwean torture victims and the public will be invited to add their names in solidarity.

SW Radio Africa carries an update on the banner today:

A giant banner has been spread out on a beach under the flight path into Lisbon, telling airline passengers about Robert Mugabe´s crimes against humanity. The ribbon measuring 30 x 10 metres reads, “Mugabe You´d Be More Welcome at The Hague.”

I can’t help wondering if, when Mugabe dozes off during one of the sessions as he tends to do, he may be dreaming wistfully of happier days when he and Grace would visit Europe and shop till they dropped in Harrods. Or maybe he’ll be dreaming of retirement? Or how about nightmares about the Hague…? (Or am I the person wistfully dreaming now?)

Technorati Tags: zimbabe, mugabe, lisbon, portugal, eu/au summit, Angela Merkel

This entry was posted by Hope on Saturday, December 8th, 2007 at 11:29 am. You can follow any comments on this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.