(TALKZIMBABWE) EU leading Zim sanctions debate

EU leading Zim sanctions debate
Our reporter
Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:23:00 +0000

BRITAIN is slowly losing the battle to keep Zimbabwe under the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe after and EU-Zimbabwe re-engagement meeting has proved to be successful and a troika formed to thrash out areas of misunderstanding.

The Labour government of Gordon Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair has managed to internationalise what was otherwise a bilateral issue between Zimbabwe and Britain and managed to hoodwink the European Union into joining that bilateral fight.

Following a meeting between Zimbabwean leaders and the EU, the bloc has allocated US$65 million to the inclusive Government of Zimbabwe, a move that is in sharp contrast with decisions taken by single EU member states not to channel aid directly to Government.

The EU pledge came after the opening of political dialogue between Zimbabwe and the Union in accordance with Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement that is aimed at normalising relations between the two parties.

Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have managed to convince EU member states and the US to impose and maintain so-called targeted sanctions against the Government of President Mugabe.

EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel recently commented that the foundation for a renewed relationship between the European Union and Zimbabwe had been laid.

"The opening of the political dialogue today is an important step. This dialogue will be conducted in accordance with the principles of the equality of sovereign states," Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy said last week.

The European Commission usually donates around 90 million euros annually to Zimbabwe through non-governmental organisations (NGOs). But after the re-engagement meeting the bloc indicated that it would channel two thirds of it into stabilising the new inclusive Government.

In coming weeks, it wants to free up an additional 20 million euros to bolster the inclusive Government, plus a further nine million euros in food aid, a commission official said.

The Labour Government which is increasingly getting unpopular in Britain is getting increasingly isolated over the Zimbabwean sanctions issue.

An EU troika was recenlty formed to re-engage the Government of Zimbabwe. That troika does not include Britain. It is made up of the Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Czech Republic Ambassador to Zimbabwe and European Union representative to Zimbabwe.

President Mugabe accuses Britain of reneging on a pledge it made in 1979 at the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference to fund the land reform exercise in Zimbabwe, among other pledges.

A political commentator who preferred anonymity has noted British PM Gordon Brown's silence on Zimbabwe since the formation of the inclusive Government.

"The general mood in the EU is changing and Brown should change quickly his attitude towards Zimbabwe, otherwise he will be overtaken by events both at home and abroad," said the commentator.

"The EU is getting exasperated with the Zimbabwean issue and is ready to engage Zimbabwe, as a bloc."

British PM Gordon Brown is facing a leadership challenge at home and the survival of the Labour party at the next general election is top of his agenda.