Zimbabwe opposition urges tougher EU sanctions

Zimbabwe’s leading opposition party has urged the EU to intensify sanctions against the vilified regime of Robert Mugabe.

Sanctions, due to expire on February 20, are expected to be renewed but Gibson Sibanda, vice-President of Zimbabwe's opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) called for an expansion of restrictions.

On a visit to Brussels yesterday, Sibanda called on European leaders to extend the punitive measures to include companies “that are the pillars of the Mugabe regime”.

A list prepared by the MDC, which also contains a host of European, and in particular British companies, that are doing business with Mugabe has now been submitted to EU ministers for consideration.

Glenys Kinnock, co-president of the joint assembly of EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific nations, said that the visa and travel restrictions should also hit family member.

EU nations slapped diplomatic sanctions on Harare two years ago, imposing a visa travel ban on the president and other Zimbabwean officials and an arm sales ban.

Zimbabwean assets in Europe were also frozen after Mugabe failed to improve his regime’s human rights record. 

The UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden have all backed tougher measures, as has the European Parliament.

But officials close to the negotiations have indicated strong French opposition to stepping up the heat on Harare.

Sibanda this week encouraged Brussels that the sanctions had been effective so far.

“We are convinced they [the regime] are feeling the pinch and that they [the sanctions] should be maintained and increased so that they can come to the negotiating table.”

“They are working even though they may not be very visible,” he said, adding that military chiefs and the police in particular were complaining about the restrictions.

But Sibanda urged the EU to tighten the current loopholes in the travel bans that had allowed Mugabe and political figures from his ruling Zanu-PF party to touch down on European soil.

Allowing top officials to attend high profile conferences and events in Europe “pours more scorn on those trying to help the people of Zimbabwe”.

Paris, in particular, caused political uproar last year by temporarily suspending the visa ban to invite Mugabe to an Anglo-French summit.

Asked whether the England cricket team should tour Zimbabwe later this year, the MDC leader said it was a matter of “conscience”.

“It should be in their conscience that it would be an encouragement to the regime of Mugabe to continue the repression of the people,” he said.

The MDC has urged not only Europe but its African neighbours to put the pressure on Mugabe to hold “free and fair elections”.

Mugabe has always insisted that the MDC accept that he won the 2002 elections, a result that they have challenged in court.

But Sibanda denied yesterday that Mugabe had made moves to open formal talks with the MDC, despite making statements to the contrary.

“Mugabe has indicated his willingness but nothing has happened, no contact whatsoever and all the informal contacts have come to a standstill,” he said.

Under Mugabe’s rule, GDP has fallen by 40 per cent over the last four years, with annual inflation now reaching 620 per cent and scheduled to pass 1000 per cent during 2004.
Once considered the breadbasket of Africa, some 6.5 million people are now in need of food aid.

Sibanda told EUpolitix that the country now faced even harsher food shortages that in previous years.

“Already the World Food Programme, they have cut the distribution by half and there are a lot of people crying and going hungry.”

“So we are looking for the EU’s support on the food aid…if it could be maintained or increased or doubled in the region where they gave last year, it will go a long way."

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