MEDIA REPORT FRANCO-AFRICAN SUMMIT; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000377 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT FRANCO-AFRICAN SUMMIT; HARARE ¶1. Under headline "Africa and the French connection" the pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" dedicated its February 23 edition to hailing French President Jacques Chirac and African leaders for coming out with a collective communiqu, at the just ended Franco-Africa Summit in Paris, opposed to a war against Iraq. Excerpts: ¶2. "The Franco-Africa summit ended in Paris on Friday, amid British and American anxiety on France's success in rallying Africa and most of the developing world against the current wave of Anglo-American imperialism. . . His biggest coup was the support he received from African leaders on his anti-war stance on Iraq. Much to the chagrin of Tony Blair and George Bush, African leaders signed a French document that expresses support for continued U. N. inspections and which states that, `there is an alternative to war. . . .'" SULLIVAN