RFI - Venue change to avoid al-Beshir invite

Venue change to avoid al-Beshir invite

Article published on the 2009-12-15 Latest update 2009-12-15 19:13 TU

The 2007 France-Africa summit in Cannes
(Photo: la Présidence de la République)

A special France-Africa summit changed venue on Tuesday to avoid inviting Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, who has an International Criminal Court arrest warrant outstanding. The event will now be held in France, instead of Egypt.

Analysis: Ahmed Badawi Malik, advisor to Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

15/12/2009 by Michel Arseneault

The summit, intended to celebrate French ties with former colonies, was scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh in January.

But worries over an invitation to Beshir forced Paris to change venue.

French Development Minister Alain Joyandet said “diplomatic difficulties” had forced them to push the date back to May.

France supported the ICC’s decision to issue a warrant for Beshir. However, the Sudanese President remains one of Egypt’s regional allies, and they said they could not avoid inviting him.

A spokesperson for French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed the change of venue, although there has been no decision made on the exact location.

Former French President Jacques Chirac chaired the last summit, which was held in Cannes in 2007.