Gordon Brown will go to an EU Africa summit this year as long as Zimbabwe is represented by someone other than Robert Mugabe, Downing Street made clear yesterday.

The Prime Minister threatened tougher measures against Zimbabwe last night, saying that Britain would table proposals to the EU “in the next few days” to extend travel and financial sanctions against leading members of the Mugabe regime.

Mr Brown has personally targeted the Zimbabwean President and will not go to the summit in Lisbon if he is there. Downing Street indicated that he would go if Zimbabwe’s place at the table was occupied by a junior or less controversial representative.

That threw a lifeline to the Portuguese, who hold the EU presidency and are desperately looking for a diplomatic solution to avoid cancelling the meeting. However Ghana, which presides over the African Union, has made clear that it wants Mr Mugabe to receive equal treatment.

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Africa sees Brown's stance as meaningless grandstanding

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The Portuguese attacked the threat to boycott the December summit yesterday and insisted that it would go ahead. Portugal sees it as the high point of its six months as holder of the EU’s rotating presidency and is angered by what it sees as Britain’s undiplomatic move.

While there is widespread sympathy for Mr Brown’s stance, some of Britain’s strongest allies are prepared to attend a summit with Mr Mugabe in order to lecture him on human rights.

The Portuguese Government confirmed that invitations for the event, on December 8 and 9, had not yet been sent. The Timesunderstands that one consideration is to make the African Union responsible for the African invitations so that Mr Mugabe is not technically invited by the EU.

With no EU invitation, the EU could then retain the option of refusing Mr Mugabe a visa if behind-the-scenes diplomatic pressure does not dissuade him from getting on a plane.

A Portuguese Government spokesman said: “The seeds of this summit were sown under the British presidency of the EU [in 2005]. This is not a summit between one European country and one African country, it is a summit between the EU and the AU as mandated by the EU Council.”

The strength of feeling in Africa was shown in Brussels yesterday when Gertrude Mongella, the Tanzanian President of the Pan-African Parliament, accused Mr Brown of “arm-twisting” at a European Parliament meeting.

She said: “I think this is again another way of manipulating Africa. Zimbabwe is a nation which got independence. In the developed countries there are so many countries doing things which not all of us subscribe to. We have seen the Iraq War – not everyone accepts what is being done in Iraq. Heads of state should go there, meet, develop a dialogue, an open dialogue, a very committed dialogue to solve problems rather than threatening each other by going or not going.”

Mr Brown’s spokesman said that he had had discussions with other EU member states on what tactics to adopt before publicly threatening his boycott in protest at the plight of Zimbabwe and despite continuing European travel sanctions imposed on Mr Mugabe and 131 members of his Zanu-PF regime.

Asked if the Prime Minister would attend the summit if another member of the Mugabe regime represented Zimbabwe, the spokesman said: “That would be a different circumstance. The issue in relation to Robert Mugabe is that what we do not want to do anything that diverts attention from the important issues that the EU Africa summit needs to address.”

Mr Brown has said that Mr Mugabe’s presence in Portugal would divert attention from key issues such as poverty, climate change and health.

Louis Michel, the EU Development Commissioner, backed Mr Brown by demanding a ban on Mr Mugabe. He told the EUPolitix website: “I too share concerns and, yes, I too would prefer it if Mugabe was not there.”

But he added: “However, would his presence be sufficient reason for not holding this very important event? The main objective, let’s remember, is the summit itself and not the participants, whoever they might be.” While moving to isolate Zimbabwe’s Government, Mr Brown announced more British aid money for the country. Already Zimbabwe’s second biggest donor, Britain will provide an additional £8 million to be delivered through the World Food Programme.

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