Maravi

(ZIMBABWE GUARDIAN) UK should come clean on reasons for sanctions

UK should come clean on reasons for sanctions
By: EDITORIAL COMMENT
Posted: Friday, March 26, 2010 5:53 am

HOUSE OF COMMONS members who recently spent four days in Zimbabwe rececently concluded that it was still necessary to maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe as "little progress has been made" by the inclusive Government. UK aid to Zimbabwe is reaching the poor and vulnerable but the plight of children in the country remains a serious concern, the MPs said. The 8-member International Development Committee spent four days in the country.

Its report says limited progress has been made since the power-sharing government took office in 2009 with schools and hospitals re-opening.

EU sanctions against President Mugabe are still needed despite South African pressure to scrap them, the MPs added, but failed to say why it was necessary to maintain those sanctions.

The hypocrisy of that group is astounding.

Before they left Zimbabwe last month, the Chairman of the Committee, Malcolm Bruce was more upbeat: "My colleagues and I have enjoyed our visit to Zimbabwe."

He added: " We came to see how the significant amount of British Government aid money was being spent.

"We have been very impressed at how that assistance has made a real difference to people’s lives - regardless of their backgrounds or political affiliations. "

Yet, in a published report the rhetoric has shifted. The group is calling for the maintenance of illegal sanctions against an ailing country.

The reason why they are now maintaining the sanctions is because: "Mr Mugabe still holds the main levers of power."

The prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara have stressed that it is time to lift sanctions.

Ironically, British foreign secretary David Miliband said they will be guided by the MDC-T on sanctions; yet they are ignoring the calls from that party.

The African Union, Sadc, the Frontline States and many African governments have denounced sanctions saying they are illegal and ruinous.

Britain seems to be maintaining sanctions now for some undisclosed reason.

Perhaps this was the reason why those sanctions were imposed in the first place, not the arguments we hear daily in the news; about respect for human rights, the media, etc.

Ironically, the group heaped praise on "development assistance from the UK, which is deliberately channelled through aid agencies".

Interesting that a group from the UK would heap praise on its own country, as if they didn't know what their country was doing in the first place.

You cannot provide development assistance, on one hand, and maintain sanctions, on the other. The 'bombs and burgers' approach simply doesn't work.
Interesting that the group goes on to stress that the British government pledged £60m in aid in 2009; but fails to acknowledge the cost in human and material terms of the illegal sanctions they imposed on the tiny country for almost a decade.

Zimbabwe does not need aid only. It needs an opportunity, not sanctions.

Labels: SANCTIONS, UK, ZDERA

posted by MrK @ 3:58 PM