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(TALKZIMBABWE) Zanu PF position on sanctions splits the EU

Zanu PF position on sanctions splits the EU
Mutsawashe Makuvise
Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:35:00 +0000

President Mugabe (R) and Vice President John Nkomo (L) listen to Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa during the 5th Ordinary National People’s Congress at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), in Harare, from 09-13 December 2009.

ZANU PF's position in the ongoing power-sharing discussions seems to have paid dividends as the European Union is expected to partially lift sanctions against Zimbabwe.

After revelations last month by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, that Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T party controls some of the sanctions, Zanu PF resolved not to give in to any more demands by the MDC-T in the power-sharing talks until the illegal and ruinous sanctions against the country are lifted.

Miliband also said that the EU would only lift the sanctions on the advice of the MDC-T.

The MDC-T party has reneged on its GPA obligation to call for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe and campaign against the spewing of propaganda against Zimbabwe by foreign-based pirate radio stations.

The decision by Zanu PF not to make any more concessions has put pressure on the MDC-T party.

Some countries in the EU also simply want to see progress in Zimbabwe.

Britain and the Netherlands on the one hand, want to maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe and Germany and Denmark, on the other, want to see some movement regarding the Zimbabwean situation and are pushing for the removal of selected local companies from the embargo list.

The German and the Danish governments want a softening of the measures, accompanied by an equal easing of language to “acknowledge the reality of the GPA and encourage its implementation”.

A divided EU is, therefore, expected to “partially lift” sanctions against Zimbabwe this week.

An EU diplomat said at the weekend: “Although the final decision will be on the 16th, you can expect the knocking off some 10 percent of the measures."

He added: "Ninety percent will then remain pending implementation of the GPA. This 10 percent would be restricted to the removal of names of companies on the sanctions before any individuals are considered…”.

Last week a meeting of six EU countries met in Denmark to review the situation in Zimbabwe and formulate a position on Zimbabwe.

The meeting was attended by Zimbabwean desk officers in the foreign ministries of Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Ireland, UK and Sweden.

After that meeting, the EU Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) took the decision in light of the demands by Zanu PF to the MDC-T to call for the lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Coreper maintains that the inclusive Government had failed to fully implement the country’s GPA, so it will only "partially lift" the sanctions as a bargaining tool to encourage Zanu PF to alter its position.

The Council, commonly referred to as the Council of Ministers, however, wants the rest of the sanctions extended to February 20 next year.

Coreper will table the decision for approval before the Council of Ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Tuesday this week.

The EU is getting increasingly restless and governments in countries like Britain face criticism from opposition parties for failing to resolve the Zimbabwean crisis.

Tsvangirai is reported to have written to the EU recently urging them to lift the illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe, arguing that there would be no movement from Zanu PF in the GPA talks unless the sanctions were lifted.

Labels: EU, SANCTIONS, ZANU-PF, ZDERA

posted by MrK @ 5:17 PM