News

The campaign to head off a trip to Cannes, France by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has been a success.



The London Times reports from Paris that French President Jacques Chirac has bowed to pressure from Britain and blocked an attempt by President Mugabe to break his diplomatic isolation to attend a Franco-African summit on the French Riviera on the 15/16 February.



UNI Global Union and many other unions have been among those campaigning against Mugabe’s visit because of the appalling human rights record of the ageing President and his attack on the trade unions of Zimbabwe. His policies have also ruined a once flourishing economy with inflation running at 1,593% last month.



After intense lobbying, the French authorities told Mr Mugabe that he would not be welcome in Cannes for the three-day meeting between Mr Chirac and African heads of state.



Mr Chirac was widely criticised for ignoring European Union sanctions and inviting Mr Mugabe when the summit was held in Paris in 2003.



The Times reports that some African leaders had threatened a boycott in support of Mr Mugabe - but the French authorities were confident that the boycott would fail to materialise.