Outside the summit venue, rights groups erected a bed with actors depicting French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel sleeping next to Mugabe and Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
"CONFRONT REALITY"
Decades after most African countries became independent, relations between Europe and Africa remain clouded by colonial era issues.
Many Africans think Europe owes a debt to former colonies and European leaders have called for a change from paternalism that had characterised Europe's approach to the continent.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, on his first visit to Portugal, used a speech at Lisbon University to urge former colonial powers to pay compensation to the countries they once ruled. "If we don't confront reality, we must pay the price ... terrorism, migration, revenge," said Gaddafi.
Trade tensions were also apparent before the summit at a meeting of business leaders from the two continents.
The European Union says it needs to clinch new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with former European colonies in Africa before a World Trade Organisation waiver of preferential treatment expires on December 31.
Some African nations have complained they will face too much competition and are being strong-armed into signing new deals.
EU countries are trying to settle their own differences over the EPAs. Free trade supporters such as Sweden want to ensure local context rules do not hamper textiles and other exports from poor countries. But Italy and others are concerned about a possible rise in imports hurting their own producers.
European and African farmers protested near the summit.
"In Europe a cow gets two dollars per day and in Africa a human being doesn't get half a dollar," said Justus Lavi, treasurer at the Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum.
"After signing the EPAs, products from Europe, which are highly subsidised, will come and how can Africa compete?"
