A French invitation to Robert Mugabe to attend a summit on Africa in Paris next month has sparked another diplomatic row with Britain.

The three-day meeting opens on February 19 - the day after European Union sanctions, including a travel ban on Mugabe and senior Zimbabwean officials, expire.

Coming at a time when London and Paris are already in dispute over Iraq, the invitation jeopardises Britain's attempts to make Zimbabwe's leader an international outcast because of human rights abuses.

Tony Blair has so far stopped short of giving a commitment to use Britain's veto to stop Mugabe attending, but today's Guardian quotes a diplomat who says that a deal has already been struck.

"The British government agreed to lift the sanctions so that Mugabe could attend the summit in Paris on the condition that France would not oppose the renewal of EU sanctions when they come up before the general council," he said.

Under EU rules an extension of the targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe, including the travel ban, needs the approval of all 15 member states.