FRANCE: President Jacques Chirac greeted other African heads of state with kisses on both cheeks at the opening of the 22nd bi-annual France-Africa Summit yesterday. But when President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was ushered in, an unsmiling Mr Chirac held his arm out stiffly for a quick handshake.
The French leader had not been expecting such a negative reaction to the summit invitation extended to Mr Mugabe. More street demonstrations and condemnation by the British government and human rights groups yesterday only compounded the embarrassment.
Le Monde called the Zimbabwean leader's presence "an insult for all the victims of his arbitrary reign" and noted that while Mr Mugabe celebrated his 79th birthday at the closing day of the summit in Paris today, his country was in ruins.
"All African countries are invited by tradition," the presidential spokeswoman, Ms Catherine Colonna, attempted to explain. Under Mr Chirac's stewardship, since 1996, Paris had invited the entire continent, not just former colonies. Only Somalia had not been invited this year, because it had no government.
Ms Colonna said Mr Chirac would tell Mr Mugabe of "the concern in Europe and the world" over Zimbabwe.
Mr Mugabe has allegedly persecuted political opponents and journalists and confiscated white farmers' land in order to give it to supporters of his ruling ZANU party.
A wrist-slapping in an ante-room of the conference centre or on the sidelines of the official dinner at the Élysée Palace last night was not likely to placate the Tory foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Alan Duncan, who called Mr Chirac's greeting of Mr Mugabe "the dirtiest handshake of the year" and advised the French president "to think of the blood staining the hand he's just shaken."
Although it had earlier agreed to Mr Mugabe's visit, the British Labour government expressed irritation, saying that "with other EU members, we did not want Mugabe to come to Paris or to Europe."
The Sun newspaper in Britain yesterday distributed free copies in Paris of a special edition with the banner headline entitled (in French), "Chirac is a worm".
The front page showed the French president's head on the body of a worm, springing forth from a tricolour. The newspaper reproached Mr Chirac for threatening to veto a UN resolution on Iraq, and for inviting Mr Mugabe to Paris.
"The worm meets the monster", the newspaper said. "Jacques Chirac has become the shame of Europe."
Mr Jean-Jacques Aillagon, the French culture minister, called the British tabloid's front page "an aggression" against France. "It is extremely unpleasant, vulgar," he said.
"This newspaper does not have a reputation for being elegant or distinguished." Ms Colonna said, "Insults often say more about those who make them than those they're meant to describe."
The controversy over Mr Mugabe was diverting attention from Mr Chirac attempts to place Africa "at the heart of France's priorities", she said.
In his opening address, the French leader alluded to the 1997-2002 socialist government, which wanted France to stay out of former colonies.
"Some of you had the impression that France was keeping herself at a distance," Mr Chirac said. Now he and his foreign minister, Mr Dominique de Villepin, wanted to act as advocates for Africa in international fora, including the G8 summit at Évian in June.
French influence over the continent was apparent in a statement by the 37 African heads of state last night saying "there is an alternative to war" in Iraq.
After lecturing east European countries in Brussels on Monday, Mr Chirac yesterday lectured his African guests: "The time of impunity, when the use of force was justified, is over," he said. "Wherever violence comes from, it must be denounced."
The International Criminal Court would punish the guilty, he added. The warning applied not only to Mr Mugabe. There were 14 wars underway in Africa, each with its share of atrocities and of human rights abuses.
The doyen of African dictators, President Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo, has been in power for 37 years. President Omar Bongo of Gabon, another French ally and "old crocodile" is not far behind him.
Mr Chirac is an enthusiastic supporter of NEPAD (New Partnership for African Development), in which foreign assistance will be tied to "good governance".
However, this concept relies on peer pressure among African leaders. Mr Mugabe's case is a notable failure: at least 15 heads of state said they would boycott the Paris summit if he were not invited.
