JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on a visit to South Africa, said she intends to invite Zimbabwe to a European Union-African Union summit.
But Merkel also encouraged South African President Thabo Mbeki to be tougher on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Voice of America reported.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has threatened to boycott the meeting scheduled for Lisbon in December if Mugabe attends. Merkel, who holds the rotating E.U. presidency, said she plans to invite all A.U. countries, allowing them to select their own representatives.
The Zimbabwean economy has been sliding since Mugabe began taking over white-owned farms several years ago, and recent measures aimed at curbing hyperinflation have brought economic life to a halt. Mugabe is also under fire for his efforts to clamp down on political opponents.
Merkel called said Zimbabwe’s condition is “disastrous.”
The chancellor also met with former South African President Nelson Mandela. She described their talk as “very moving,” Deutsche Welle reported.
