THE European Union (EU) and United States (US) have scoffed
at the anti-sanctions march held by government on Friday, saying the
restrictive measures would remain in place until President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
administration has fulfilled its reform pledge.
Mnangagwa on Friday led a poorly attended Sadc-brokered
march demanding the unconditional lifting of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe,
saying they were stifling economic growth and hurting ordinary citizens. The
sanctions were imposed by the West at the turn of the century in reaction to
government’s gross human rights violations and electoral fraud during the late
former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.
But EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen and US foreign
relations committee chair Senator Jim Risch challenged Harare to spend more
energy on addressing the key issues which invited the sanctions than on protest
marches.
“(The) EU is looking at what is on the ground, what is the
actual situation on the ground and these are the kind of issues that can come
into play for us to lift the sanctions,” Olkkonen told HStv on Friday while
Mnangagwa was addressing his followers at the National Sports Stadium.
“Lifting of the sanctions is not decided on street marches
or social media campaigns; this will not divert attention on the situation on
the ground. Frankly speaking, there are a lot of other issues challenging
Zimbabweans that would warrant attention than the EU restrictive measures.”
He added: “We are not moved by the march at all. A stadium
event would not be in any way decisive.”
Olkkonen said the bloc was contesting the narrative by
Mnangagwa that the sanctions were behind the economic meltdown.
“I strongly disagree. Zimbabwe is not where it is because
of the so-called sanctions, but years of mismanagement of the economy and
corruption, but that blame has shifted to the EU, I disagree.”
The US, which slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions under the
Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act, also responded to Mnangagwa’s march by
adding State Security minister Owen Ncube on the sanctions list, for leading
State-sanctioned human rights abuses under the new dispensation.
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Jim Risch also
accused Mnangagwa of trying to deflect blame for the country’s economic crisis
by blaming Western sanctions, advising the Zimbabwean leader to focus on
improving his governance record.
“The ruling party should focus on the needs of the
Zimbabwean people instead of their bad governance, corruption and State
capture,” Risch said, blasting Sadc’s solidarity as misdirected energy.
“Regional institutions should also focus their energies on
supporting democracy, not kleptocratic regimes.”
The regional bloc resolved at its last summit in Tanzania
in August to campaign in solidarity with Zimbabwe for the removal of the
sanctions.
Olkkonen denied that sanctions were part of the Western
governments’ regime change strategy, claiming the EU was working with civic
organisations and through United States organs for advocacy and human rights,
nothing more.
“We don’t give material and financial support to anyone for
regime change agenda. We work with everyone, government and the opposition; it
is my right as a diplomat. We are supporting NGOs (non-governmental
organisations) on their advocacy work on human rights issues and it is not a
regime change agenda.”
He said funding from the bloc was normally supposed to be
distributed in full consultation with the host government, but due to problems
regarding how the Zanu PF government has mismanaged public funds, aid to
Zimbabwe was now being channelled via United Nations organs and other civic organisations.
Olkkonen also denied the sanctions were a response to the
land redistribution programme that saw commercial white farmers being
displaced, insisting human rights issues and democracy were at the centre of
the embargoes.
In his address at the National Sports Stadium, Mnangagwa
said the land reform programme triggered the sanctions, but vowed it was an
irreversible process.
Olkkonen said he appreciated that the programme was
irreversible, but insisted that the way it was implemented created problems for
the country, resulting in a lot of productive land lying fallow and half the
population in need of food aid.
“How to move forward, it is a politically sensitive issue
in Zimbabwe and we cannot dictate what government should do,” he said, revealing
how the bloc has been working with the Zimbabwean government in the development
of a new land policy and ownership. Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment