DAVID LJUNGGREN, Ottawa | Monday
CANADA ran out of patience with Zimbabwe on Friday, suspending new development aid and imposing other sanctions to protest against harassment of its citizens in the increasingly lawless southern African country.
Foreign Minister John Manley said Canada was particularly unhappy about an incident last week when its top diplomat and a Canadian international aid group director were assaulted by self-styled veterans of Zimbabwe’s guerrilla fight in the 1970s against white-minority rule.
“We regret that the lack of rule of law, which has long affected the people of Zimbabwe, is now having a direct impact on Canadian citizens. This means we must re-examine our aid relations with Zimbabwe,” Manley said in a statement.
Canada will now suspend new development aid to the Zimbabwean government, cut off export financing and ban its participation in Canadian peacekeeping training courses.
Manley’s statement – issued jointly with International Co-operation Minister Maria Minna and Junior Foreign Minister David Kilgour – reaffirmed Canada’s existing policy of banning all military sales to Zimbabwe.
Britain, South Africa and Germany have also complained to Zimbabwe after attacks on their nationals by the militants, who accuse aid organisations and some diplomatic missions of supporting political opposition to President Robert Mugabe and the ruling ZANU-PF party.
Their actions are seen as part of a strategy to win workers’ support for Mugabe – seeking re-election next year – and outflank labour unions linked to his political opponents.
“It’s very painful for Canada to have to do this but there is a time when you have to act, and we’re acting,” Kilgour told reporters after announcing the sanctions in Parliament.
“It’s very clear to everybody that there have been a whole series of things that have been going on that the values of Canadians will not accept,” he said.
Manley said the Zimbabwean government was apparently condoning what he described as a harassment campaign against Canadian citizens.
Ottawa protested to Harare this week after High Commissioner (ambassador) James Wall was pushed and shoved last Friday when he tried to stop the militants from abducting the director of the aid agency CARE International.
“Several days have passed since [we] alerted the government of Zimbabwe of our concerns and there has been no relevant response,” said Manley, calling on Harare to provide a secure environment for all Canadians in the country.
A representative at the Zimbabwean High Commission (embassy) in Ottawa said he was not aware of the Canadian sanctions.
Last week the Commonwealth group of mainly former British colonies expressed concern over violent attacks on businesses in Zimbabwe and threats against foreign embassies.
The 54-nation Commonwealth plans to send an urgent ministerial mission to Zimbabwe in response to a campaign of intimidation against the country’s media and judiciary.
Zimbabwe rejected the proposed visit when it was announced six weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean government has lamented Canadas decision, saying it was regrettable.
The state-run ZIANA news agency quoted an unnamed government official as saying: “It’s strange that Canada acted the way it did in partial response to the incident and other isolated ones happening in Zimbabwe,” said the official, adding: “No foreign national or diplomat is under threat in Zimbabwe.”
* A tough new law barring political parties from raising funds abroad or accepting foreign donations has taken effect in Zimbabwe. The Political Parties (Finances) Act, enacted Friday, makes it an offence even for Zimbabweans living abroad to contribute to a political party here, while allowing foreign residents in the country to make political contributions. Under the new law, any party that receives at least five percent of the vote in a general election is entitled to state funding. The law was passed by parliament early last month after a marathon debate led by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which said it impinged on freedom of association and was therefore unconstitutional. – AFP