The United States on Wednesday extended financial sanctions imposed on senior Zimbabwe government officials, ruling party politicians and state-owned companies 20 years ago for alleged human rights abuses and corruption.
The US has since 6 March 2003 maintained a raft of financial measures against scores of Zimbabwean officials – including President Emmerson Mnangagwa and army generals – accused of stifling democratic space in the southern African country and using their positions to manipulate state institutions.
The financial sanctions have been renewed every year for the past 20 years.
In a statement late Wednesday, President Joe Biden said he has decided to extend the sanctions by a further year, citing lack of progress in terms of “actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions.”
“President Emmerson Mnangagwa has not made the necessary political and economic reforms that would warrant terminating the existing targeted sanctions program,” the US leader said.
He expressed concern that Zimbabwe government security services have continued to routinely intimidate “and violently repressed citizens, including members of opposition political parties, union members, and journalists.”
“The absence of progress on the most fundamental reforms needed to ensure the rule of law, democratic governance, and the protection of human rights leaves Zimbabweans vulnerable to ongoing repression and presents a continuing threat to the peace and security in the region.”
Biden said the actions and policies of some Zimbabwe government officials and other persons to undermine the country’s democratic processes or institutions continued to “pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States.”
“Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288, as amended, with respect to Zimbabwe and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat,” he said.
The latest US action came a day after the European Union (EU) extended the two remaining sanctions measures against Zimbabwe.
EU’s High Representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell on Tuesday expressed concern over lack of progress in implementing the recommendations of a commission of inquiry set up by Mnangagwa following post-election violence in which soldiers killed six civilians in Harare after the disputed outcome of the July 2018 elections.
He said in view of the lack of progress as well as other “developments are of concern from a democratic and civic space perspective” the EU was extending by another year its remaining sanctions against Zimbabwe.
“In view of all the above, in its 2023 revision of the restrictive measures, the EU has decided to extend by one year the two measures in place (i.e.: the arms embargo and targeted assets freeze against one company, Zimbabwe Defence Industries),” the official said.
In response, Zimbabwean officials accused the US of a sinister plot to influence the outcome of general elections in the southern African country scheduled for later this year.
In an editorial, the official Herald daily accused the US of allegedly “dangling US$37 million to sponsor the opposition and non-governmental organisations to influence this year’s elections, now most likely to be held in August.”
JN/APA