In an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent, EU
ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen maintained the bloc’s position that there
were no sanctions against Zimbabwe.
He said the restrictive measures would only be lifted after
an assessment of the situation in Zimbabwe by the bloc’s council.
The top diplomat spoke as United Nations (UN) special
rapporteur Elena Douhan concluded a 10-day tour of the country on Wednesday,
after which she slammed Western powers for the devastation that the global
embargo has caused.
Government has claimed the decimation of Zimbabwe’s
currency, hyperinflation, foreign currency shortages and deteriorating living
standards on the measures, which came after concerns over alleged rights abuses
and electoral fraud.
Olkkonen said while there had been a move towards enacting
laws to improve the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, the EU was worried that
Zimbabwe had moved too slowly to implement them.
“The question is on the proof that these consequences
(suffering) are there. So far, we haven’t seen any proof as regards to EU
restrictive measures affecting the people,” he said. “The EU’s restrictive
measures are very targeted. They were all along targeted at individuals and
entities and then there has been an arms embargo.
“Currently, there are restrictive measures (against) only
one company, the Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI).”
The EU diplomat said the measures also obliged the bloc’s
companies not to export arms or deal with ZDI.
“We have seen some legislation and updating of some but
what is important is what happens on the ground. That situation has been
fluctuating,” he said.
“Of course, we have had those dramatic moments in August
2018 and in 2019, which have been very dramatic.
“We are talking about human rights. It’s not only about
individual situations but the possibility of people to express themselves.”
The EU ambassador was referring to a bloody crackdown
against protesters on August 1, 2018, when an opposition group rejected poll
results following a Zanu PF victory.
Olkkonen said ambassadors had also met with the UN envoy
and presented their report.
“We met with the UN Special Rapporteur. We have a
structured dialogue with the government; we have political dialogue with the
government so dialogue is taking place.
“For us it’s extremely important that we have this forum
also to discuss issues. That is one of the reasons that we share these concerns
and discuss them and we are engaged with each other.
“Lifting of the restive measures is a decision that would
be taken by the EU Council which is comprised of all EU member states. The
decision is taken on an assessment on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe
and what has been done.”
There have been sharp differences over the impact of
sanctions on Zimbabwe since the UN envoy arrived last week.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Deputy minister,
David Musabayana, applauded Douhan’s decision, but the MDC Alliance’s
spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the government must avoid rhetoric on
sanctions and engage the West.
“The special rapporteur’s statement is an epitome of
professionalism, realism, high standards of ethics, uncompromised focus to the
research question and a wise appraisal of cause and effect of the so-called
restrictive measures,” Musabayana told the Independent.
He said Douhan was not swayed by sideshows as has been the
case with other actors.
Instead, she went on to meticulously demystify the
semantics for “targeted sanctions”.
“Finally an independent observer has clearly articulated
the entanglement of sanction-targeted individuals to political and economic
risk of the nation,” Musabayana said.
“The research has pointed to the so- called targeted
restrictive sanctions as the single largest perpetrator of human rights
violations and not the government of Zimbabwe as previously alleged by some
actors.”
However, Mahere sang a different tune and said Douhan had
scorned the Zanu PF administration who use the sanctions as an advocacy tool.
“UN sanctions envoy Alena Douhan has told the Zanu PF
regime to abandon rhetoric on sanctions as an advocacy tool and work with
hostile Western nations and key national stakeholders to engage in a meaningful
dialogue on political reform, human rights and the rule of law.” Zimbabwe
Independent
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