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EU-Africa summit 'very important first step' - Rafaela Bielecki, CAAGLOP / IFPD

Sir,

Regarding 'Redefining EU-Africa relations':

On Sunday, a gathering of 67 African and European leaders ended in Lisbon. During the meeting, such difficult topics as the crisis in Darfur, the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and problems of good governance, as well as the issues of trade and resources were discussed. 

While Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was urged by a European delegation including the Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and the French President Nicolas Sarkozy to pave the way for the deployment of a UN-AU peace keeping force in Darfur, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was heavily criticised by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who accused him of "harming the image of the new Africa". 

South African President Thabo Mbeki, the mediator between the ruling party and the opposition in Zimbabwe, commented on her statement by pointing out that in his opinion, she was out of touch with the situation in Zimbabwe and that, like other countries in the world, Africa was still facing challenges of good governance. 

Of course, there have also been cases of corruption, social unrest and riots in Europe, and these should not be overlooked. These problems - and good governance - are far from being purely African concerns. 

Mugabe's presence at the summit prompted Britain not to send its ministers there. Though most important topics were discussed during the summit, it was overshadowed by the aftermath of colonialism. 

Fifty years of colonialism had created a big gap between the continents that was difficult to overcome, but the meeting was a first step in encouraging dialogue and redefining relations. 

Portugal's secretary of state for cooperation and development Joao Gomes Cravinho also pointed out that the main goal had not been problem-solving, but working towards improving relations between the two continents. 

This certainly won't be an easy task, and there is still a long way to go, but without this very important first step, solving problems together in the future will not be feasible. 

Yours faithfully,

Rafaela Bielicki

CAAGLOP (Centre for African Affairs and Global Peace)

IFPD (International Fourm for Participative Democracy)

Frankfurt

Germany

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