As Zimbabwe starves, Mugabe defies travel ban and arrives in Italy for a FOOD summit

Mr Mugabe avoided a European Union travel ban to attend the summit in Italy because the event is being held under the auspices of the United Nations.

Conservative MEP Neil Parish said Mugabe's presence in Rome showed that the EU's "smart sanctions" - which specifically target members of Zimbabwe's ruling regime - were not working and should be replaced by sanctions on the country as a whole.

Mr Mugabe's visit to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation summit is his first official trip abroad since disputed elections in March.

Challenge: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace arrive at the Fiumicino airport in Rome

He used a gathering of the same body in 2005 to launch attacks on then-prime minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush, calling them "international terrorists".

He faces a run-off presidential election on June 27 against Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The campaign has been marred by widespread allegations of violence and intimidation directed by the regime at supporters of the MDC.

Mr Parish said his presence in Europe showed that sanctions were not tough enough.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is not working now. We have to step it up. Why the UN at this stage should allow Mugabe to come, I just can't believe it.

"There comes a time now when we probably have briefly to consider sanctioning Zimbabwe, because I think we have got to bring about a change right away

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"The country is ripe for it. Morgan Tsvangirai has won one election but been denied the result. There is a lot of rigging going on and intimidation and murder. We have really got to stop this now."

Mr Parish said Mr Mugabe's attendance at a food summit was particularly galling when he was personally responsible for turning Zimbabwe from one of southern Africa's breadbaskets into a destitute state dependent on food aid.

"There is systematic abuse going on and he is trying to make himself look like an international statesman, that's what worries me," said Mr Parish.

"We have to have joined-up thinking between what Europe does and the UN does, because there is no point us putting a ban in if he just flouts it."