A European visa ban on the Zimbabwean leader was lifted for the event, allowing him to set foot on the continent for the first time since 2001.
Reed Brody, counsel of Human Rights Watch, said if Mugabe participates in the summit like any other leader, he would come out as the victor. "But if the European and African leaders take him to task on human rights, then maybe we may have accomplished something."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is boycotting the event because of Mugabe's attendance.
NO TABOO SUBJECTS
The summit will cover peacekeeping, migration, human rights, energy, trade and development but there are no specific topics on the agenda. A Portuguese diplomat said any participant can raise any subject.
"There are no taboo subjects," the diplomat said.
The letter by parliamentarians said they were "surprised and disappointed" that no time had been allotted to discussing the Darfur conflict, which has displaced half a million people. Protecting citizens should be at the top of the agenda of the meeting, it said.
"The question for this summit is are they going to pledge joint action to protect civilians and still allow the people of Darfur and Somalia to die?" asked Brody. "Are they going to shake hands to combat corruption while European banks sock away the ill-gotten gains of African dictators?"
U.N. peacekeeping chief Guehenno has questioned the viability of a Darfur mission because of Sudanese restrictions on its movements and refusal to accept non-African troops.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday a failure by countries to supply transport and attack helicopters had put the Darfur mission at risk.
