United States adds over 40 officials to targeted sanctions list

By Lance Guma
04 December 2007

In a sign of major diplomatic pressure the United States government will add over 40 Zanu PF officials and key supporters to a list of people under travel and financial sanctions. US Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs Jendayi Frazer made the announcement on Tuesday. Ms Frazer said the US will impose additional travel sanctions on 38 additional individuals, including nine state security officials involved in human rights abuses and anti-democratic activities in recent months. Two companies whose owners are complicit in regime activities have also been included on the list. No names have been disclosed so far.

Government officials say the move is meant to turn the pressure on Mugabe’s regime and help highlight the human rights situation in the country. Already over 130 key officials in Mugabe’s power structure are under the travel ban and have had their assets in the US frozen. According to some press reports the new list will have about 6 officials on financial restrictions while the remainder will be slapped with travel bans. The United Kingdom, Australia and other European countries have imposed similar targeted sanctions.

The US will also take Australia’s lead and is planning to deport 5 students who are the offspring of prominent Zanu PF officials, studying in the country. This will be done through revoking their student visas. ‘They should not benefit from an education here when their parents are denying that education at home,’ Frazer argued. She added that they were determined, ‘to deny human rights abusers access to our markets, our universities, and our territories.’

The new targeted sanctions will be formally announced by the Treasury Department in the next couple of days but Frazer has already delivered the warning shots on the impending move. She used her address to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in the US to make the announcement. She said given Mugabe's escalated use of violence, the US will be imposing additional sanctions against the worst perpetrators of the regime's brutality.

Her department says it recorded 6,000 cases of abuse, 90 politically motivated kidnappings and abductions and 3,463 victims of torture and assault, this year alone. Victims reported electric shocks as well as beatings with whips and cables. ‘The number of victims requiring medical treatment this year was triple that of 2006. ‘The defenders of freedom in Zimbabwe are under attack,’ Frazer argued. She said freedom loving Zimbabweans are trying to return their country to democracy and deserve support from the US government.

Turning to the coming EU-Africa summit being held in Portugal Frazer said the United States did not agree with the decision to invite Mugabe, but hopes the summit will deal with Zimbabwe’s human rights record.