EU looks to redefine relations with Africa

EU and African leaders will gather for their first summit in seven years on Friday (7 December), with the state of human rights in several African countries taking a back row seat as the EU tries to win more influence in the poor but resource-rich continent.

In the run-up to the summit, the EU faced several awkward questions about whether it should be sharing a political stage with leaders such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe.

But there is a growing feeling in the bloc that it must wo...