Maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe, EU urged

This article was written by Our reporter on 16 February, at 13 : 25 PM

THE European Union should maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe until the country follows through on promised political reforms, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

The EU is conducting its annual review of its sanctions against Zimbabwe which include personal sanctions on President Mugabe and selected individuals in the Zanu-PF party.

The sanctions were imposed in 2002 with the Western bloc citing widespread violence and intimidation, although it is widely believed that the Labour Party of British Prime Minister Tony Blair drafted the measures in response to the land reform programme which redistributed land from minority whites to majority blacks.

“EU concessions on sanctions will not get Zanu-PF to end its abuses,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

“To the contrary, removing sanctions will give (President) Mugabe and his party free rein for continued repression ahead of elections.”

“(President) Mugabe’s Zanu-PF is committing grave human rights abuses against all perceived opponents,” Bekele said. “Easing the sanctions now would send the wrong message and reinforce the repression and impunity in Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabwe is in the process of drafting a new constitution to clear the way for new polls.

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National European Union, Human Rights Watch, President Robert Mugabe