African and European leaders held crisis talks on the escalating violence in the Central African Republic on Wednesday as some 80 nations gathered in Brussels for a key summit.

Conflict, illegal migration and fears of more jihadist turmoil were set to dominate the mammoth gathering held a day after the European Union announced the launch of a rare military mission to restore peace in the Central African Republic (CAR), scene of some of the worst violence seen in years on the continent.

The force of up to 1,000 troops, dubbed EUFOR-RCA, the EU's first major ground operation in six years, is to shoulder French and African peacekeepers striving to end months of escalating Christian-Muslim violence.

As leaders of Africa and Europe headed into Brussels for the summit, 13 EU nations, including Britain and Germany, and 12 African states, including Chad and Gabon, gathered for crisis talks on the Central African Republic with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Leaders of the 54-nation African Union and 28-member European bloc then met for the EU-Africa summit at 1230 GMT, which runs to Thursday.

More than three years after the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi hosted the last EU-Africa summit in Tripoli - dedicated largely to his own glory - post-colonial and trade tensions, as well as worries over China's influence, are lingering.

The seizure of Gaddafi's massive stocks of arms by mercenaries after his ouster is held responsible in part for jihadist-linked unrest that has since unraveled across vast swathes of Africa, notably in Mali and Niger.

The EU has waded in to help UN and African peacekeepers restore peace there as well as in Somalia.

"I hope the summit will mark a new stage in our relationship with Africa," said EU council president Herman Van Rompuy. It was time for a "shift from development cooperation to a partnership of equals with trade and investment playing a key role," he added.

An overwhelming majority of leaders from both continents are attending, though a notable last-minute stay-away is Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, boycotting in protest at an EU refusal to temporarily suspend a visa ban on his wife to allow her to also come to Brussels.

The EU relaxed sanctions against Zimbabwe earlier this year but maintained a travel ban against 90-year-old Mugabe and his wife for another year while agreeing the Zimbabwe president could travel to international forums.

Also absent will be Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges relating to Darfur - another irritant in Europe-Africa relations with some Africans complaining it is up to Africans to judge Africans.

Trade has been another cause of tension as the two continue to struggle to agree trade deals - economic partnership agreements (EPA) - giving Africa better access to EU markets while lifting tariffs in Africa, seen as a vital source of income to governments and a protection to its fledgling industry.

The EU continues to be Africa's largest donor but is now looking to switch to a more dynamic role of investor.

Source : AFP