Sunday deadline looms for Zimbabwe ‘smart’ sanctions

Date: 31/01/02

By David Cronin

SANCTIONS against Zimbabwe's ruling elite will come into effect unless it allows an EU team to begin work on monitoring the country's forthcoming presidential election by this Sunday (3 February).

EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday that President Robert Mugabe and his lieutenants should face 'smart' sanctions such as visa restrictions and freezing of financial assets.

A spokesman for Zimbabwe's Brussels embassy said that talks with EU officials in Harare were taking place, but could not comment on the likely outcome. He said Mugabe had already stated he would allow a joint delegation from the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific bloc to inspect the 9-10 March election, providing there were no British members.

External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten reacted dismissively to Mugabe's pledge: 'There's a slight sense of suspicion in the European Union that they're inclined to string us along and say they'll be prepared to do things and then when you actually look at the not-so-fine print you discover the promises aren't quite what you were led to expect.'

The UK's foreign secretary, Jack Straw, is due to seek a combined EU-US approach to ostracising Harare when he holds talks with American counterpart Colin Powell in Washington today (Thursday).

Sanctions against Zimbabwe's ruling elite will come into effect unless it allows an EU team to begin work on monitoring the country's forthcoming presidential election by 3 February 2002.