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European Union foreign ministers yesterday unanimously agreed to step
up "smart" sanctions against Zimbabwe in an attempt
to isolate President Robert Mugabe and his government further.
The decision was made as ministers heard graphic accounts of more
intimidation by the ruling Zanu-PF party, which has started to link the
distribution of food to political support for the government. Abednico
Ncube, Zimbabwe's deputy foreign minister, told
residents in Matabeleland they would not starve "as long as you value the
government of the day".
"We do not want people who vote for colonialists and then come to us
when they want food. You cannot vote for the MDC [the opposition Movement
for Democratic Change] and expect Zanu-PF to help you," he added.
The travel ban and freeze on assets, first imposed by ministers last
February on Mr Mugabe and 19 of his ministers, was extended to a further
52 people. These include all remaining cabinet ministers, politburo
secretaries, deputy ministers and assistance secretaries of the
politburo.
Grace Mugabe, wife of the president, and Mr Ncube are on the list as
well.
Several countries, including Britain and Germany, warned that Zimbabwe was pushing itself into a corner and
ever-increasing isolation as the government ruthlessly crushed the
opposition and was destroying a once rich and fertile country.
"The measures we have taken create a sense of isolation for those
responsible for the dire situation in Zimbabwe,"
said Jack Straw, foreign secretary. "Our quarrel is not with the people of
Zimbabwe but with the regime that is responsible
for this man-made disaster."
Jýrgen Chrobog, state secretary at Germany's foreign ministry, said no
one should accept "that people responsible for the crisis, who suppress
the opposition and falsify elections, should go on shopping trips". This
was a reference to Mr Mugabe and some of his colleagues who went shopping
while in transit in Paris en route to the United Nations in New York.
Ministers said they had for the moment gone as far as they could in
imposing sanctions, as they did not want to alienate SADC, the grouping of
southern African countries with which the EU has been seeking support in
trying to put pressure on the Mugabe regime. EU diplomats said they were
very disappointed with SADC's unwillingness to exert leadership over Zimbabwe.
At the same time, ministers have to contend with a humanitarian crisis
both in Zimbabwe and in other parts of southern
Africa while trying to keep it separate from the sanctions issue.
Poul Nielson, the EU's commissioner for development, told ministers the
Zimbabwe regime was hijacking the resources of the
country, while Germany warned that more than 10m people in southern Africa
would be affected by famine from December. In the meantime, the Commission
was stepping up its aid to the
region. | 