Zimbabwe's Mugabe leaves for Paris climate summit as AU chair

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has left Harare for Paris, accompanied by his wife Grace Mugabe, to attend a UN climate change conference, state media reported Friday.

The veteran leader, who is on a European Union (EU) travel ban together with the wife, managed to travel because of his position as the rotating chair of the African Union (AU) which ends next January.

Mugabe is expected to address the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21 UNFCCC) as AU chairperson.

The Paris meeting, which lasts from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 and brings together over 140 world leaders, seeks to hammer out an agreement to tackle climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Tight security has been put in place for the summit following attacks by Islamist gunmen in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed more than 100 people.

French authorities have denied permission for major protest marches that were planned to take place during the summit.

EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 citing alleged human rights abuses and violations of democratic principles by the government -- accusations vehemently denied by Harare.

However, the number of Zimbabweans on its black list has fallen from over 100 to only the first couple, as EU warms up to Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean government has demanded a full withdrawal of EU's restrictive measures, and requested the U.S. to do the same. Endit