EU to endorse decision to extend targeted sanctions by another year

By Tichaona Sibanda
15 February 2010

The European Union’s council of ministers will meet in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday to endorse a proposal to extend the sanctions against Zimbabwe until 20 February 2011.

The Committee of permanent representatives from the EU met last week and decided to extend the targeted sanctions against Robert Mugabe and his cronies. SW Radio Africa understands that this decision was motivated by the shortage of sufficient progress in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement between ZANU PF and the two MDC formations.

The EU imposed sanctions on 203 key ZANU PF and government figures allegedly involved in violence and human rights abuses and 40 companies associated with these individuals and their sources of finance.

Despite strong resistance from human rights defenders, the EU is likely to remove some names and companies from the sanctions list. There are divisions within the EU over the sanctions issue; some are calling for the lifting of embargoes on state firms, while others want targeted restrictions eased.

Gabriel Shumba, a lawyer and human rights activist told us the majority of EU countries were against the lifting of targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe. Shumba who was in Brussels last week said crucial benchmarks to move the country forward have yet to be met by Mugabe and his ZANU PF party.

“You can’t reward them for stalling progress under the GPA. What have Mugabe or those on the list done in the last year to deserve being struck off the list?” said Shumba.

The EU set benchmarks for the inclusive government to meet if sanctions were to be lifted. Among them was the restoration of the rule of law, respect for human rights, media freedom and institutional reforms. But Mugabe has vowed he will not cede any further ground in negotiations with Tsvangirai’s MDC until all sanctions against him and his cronies are lifted.

“The inclusive government is not working because the benchmarks set by the EU have not been met or pursued for that matter. Repressive laws are still there and human rights violations are still there; so why lift the sanctions,” Shumba said.

He added; “Everywhere you go, the sentiments are the same; it is not the restrictions that are creating problems in the country but mismanagement, and not respecting of human rights.”

Shumba argued that it was too early to remove sanctions because the levers of power were still very much in the hands of those on the sanctions list. All those on the list are banned from traveling to Europe, and their assets are frozen in European banks.

He said there was a likelihood that some individuals and companies would be removed from the list as the EU works by consensus, to appease other nations that are calling for the removal of the sanctions.

Last year, the EU and Australia removed Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn Project leader Simba Makoni from their lists of targeted individuals. Dumiso Dabengwa the leader of the revived ZAPU was also removed from the Australian list. There is speculation he will be one of the few individuals to be removed from the EU list on Tuesday.

Others names to be removed might be those of the late former Defence Forces Commander Vitalis Zvinavashe, and the late ZANU PF Minister without Portfolio and party Commissar, Elliot Manyika, who was killed in a car accident. He has already had his name struck off the Australian list.