Although Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, Senegalese Foreign Minister wisely remarks that the EU should not reduce Africa to Zimbabwe by boycotting the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon, the very fact that the Zimbabwe question has clouded the summit for the last seven years, shows that it needs urgent redress.

Europe has always preached that African governments should sit down and discuss with rebels and the opposition. Their refusal to see Zimbabwe eye-to eye is thus playing double standards. Britain, the lead boycott chief, has many questions to answer on her role in derailing the land reform process by failing to honor her part of the contract.

Far from cultivating ties with Europe on a range of issues such as trade, development, investment, climate change and spread of AIDS, it is hoped that African heads will push forward the African agenda in the summit. They will not be talked down to-but rather hold discussion with Europe as equals who have something to offer.

African heads of state ought to take advantage of the Chinese push to bargain wisely with Europe. Aligning themselves to Mugabe purely on the basis of patriotism without strategy to increase prosperity on the continent might be counterproductive