ROBERT MACPHERSON, Brussels | Tuesday
EUROPEAN Union foreign ministers have unanimously agreed to go ahead with sanctions against President Robert Mugabe’s regime and to pull EU election observers out of Zimbabwe.
The sanctions, against Mugabe himself and 19 other members of his administration, include a ban on travel to the European Union and a freeze on any assets they hold in the 15-nation bloc, as well as an arms embargo.
The decision followed Saturday’s expulsion of Pierre Schori, the Swedish chief of the EU election mission to Zimbabwe who Mugabe has called “dishonest and crookish.” Just over 30 other observers remained in the country.
Hotly contested presidential elections in Zimbabwe, where Mugabe has been in power for nearly 22 years, are set for March 9-10.
“The decision is very firm, very clear,” said Foreign Minister Josep Pique of Spain, which holds the rotating EU presidency. “After a lengthy debate, it was a unanimous decision.”
“We would have liked to stay,” added EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten, responsible for the logistics of deploying what ultimately was supposed to have been a 150-strong mission.
“But given the restrictions that Mr. Mugabe put on our team … we concluded that the presence of even a small number of EU observers would have played into Mr. Mugabe’s hands,” he said.
EU pulls observers out of the country Monday’s decision was taken as rampaging Mugabe supporters stoned the Harare headquarters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and after a Swedish newspaper reporter was told to leave the country.
In a statement, the EU foreign ministers said: “The sanctions are designed not to harm ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe or her neighbours, nor should they prevent dialogue between the EU and Zimbabwe to address its economic and other problems,” it said.
Besides Mugabe, the sanctions list includes Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge, Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo, Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Defense Minister Sidney Sekeramayi, Agriculture Minister Joseph Made and several top military commanders.
EU officials said family members would also be subject to the sanctions.
Meanwhile, the South African government has taken up the refusal of accreditation to local journalists with the Zimbabwean government, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
“We are dealing with the matter,” said Foreign Affairs representative Ronnie Mamoepa. He said the outcome would be communicated to the SA National Editors Forum later.
Journalists from Beeld, Sunday Times and the Independent Newspapers group were informed on Monday that their applications to cover the Zimbabwean presidential elections had been turned down.
Under new rules, foreign journalists must have permission from the government to cover the presidential election and preceding campaign. The applications of some journalists from European countries and the United States were also rejected, Associated Press reported. AP was among a number of US organisations informed that they could not bring in foreign reporters.
Information Ministry official Eddie Mamutse was quoted as saying a very large newspaper or organisation “whose reporting on us may not have been favourable” would probably be rejected.
Mugabe and Moyo earlier said foreign journalists would be allowed in to cover the election.
On state television on Sunday night, however, Mugabe said: “The independent media are most of them liars, downright liars. They fabricate news, exaggerate news, they manufacture news.” – AFP
18