The US has insisted it will not follow in Europe's footsteps by easing targeted sanctions against the Robert Mugabe regime, warning that there are signs of future violence erupting in the country.
This warning was voiced by the outgoing US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray, who said Tuesday that Washington would only lift sanctions against Mugabe and his inner circle if elections are held peacefully.
"There are disturbing signs of potential violence," Charles Ray said in a farewell address to journalists on completing his tour of duty in Harare.
He added: "There have been disturbing reports recently that could be problematic in an election environment."
His comments came a day after a meeting of the European Union (EU) resolved to ease the restrictive measures against most of the individuals and companies on its Zimbabwe list, while also committing to lifting the decade long ban on direct government aid. This move is conditional on a "peaceful and credible" constitutional referendum expected later this year.
Ray said the US would only lift its own sanctions on Mugabe when they are satisfied with the electoral conditions in Zimbabwe.
"Sanctions were a response to a violent electoral process," he said. "A credible electoral process free of violence and intimidation would make our current policies irrelevant. The ball is entirely in this court."
The EU's decision has been greeted with mixed reaction, with some saying it a necessary 'carrot' that needs to be offered to encourage reform and a credible referendum.
Critics meanwhile have said the decision will do nothing of the sort, and is only an attempt to appease Mugabe's party. But the harshest criticism has been for the country's Prime Minister, who has recently been on a 'sanctions' tour, urging foreign government to lift the measures against his government partner.
Tsvangirai has been in Australia and New Zealand in the past week urging the governments there to suspend its targeted measures. Political analyst Clifford Mashiri told SW Radio Africa that Tsvangirai "is doing Mugabe's bidding."
"He is pleading for Mugabe despite his party members still being victimised, despite the partisan actions of the police. It is not good for the MDC-T leader to behave in this manner when his party is still facing the violent actions of Mugabe's party," Mashiri said.
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Morgan Tswangilai said that "No country can progress under such measures" a few days ago in New Zealand! The sanctions MUST GO! Mugabe never ever ever ever suffered under these sanctions! It's us, the black Zimbabweans who continue to suffer! We are paying the price for taking back our land!!!
The US is not sanctioning Zimbabwe, they are only sanctioning Mugabe. Mugabe is sanctioning Zimbabwe, and his ZANU party will keep sanctioning Zimbabwe forever, even if the US and all Rhodoes were to vanish tomorrow.
It is amazing how brainwashing works. No matter which way the compass points, they continue following the direction of that brainwash.
Nowhere do the Americans or the European Union ever state that sanctions are on the Zimbabwean people and neither have they ever said that Mugabe's sanctions were because of, or that the removal of sanctions will be contingent to land being given back to whites. Sanctions have always been clearly stated as being either "on the GOVERNMENT of Zimbabwe" or "on MUGABE" because of his human rights violations and the cheating,intimidation, brutality and violence at the polls.
This is the whole American contention in regards to the Mugabe regime, "Sanctions were a response to a violent electoral process"...."the US would only lift its own sanction ON MUGABE when they are satisfied with its electoral conditions in Zimbabwe".... "a credible ELECTORAL PROCESS FREE OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION would make our current policies irrelevant".... "the ball is entirely on their court."
Already Mugabe's militia are busy roughing up people even barring the opposition from entering certain districts and anyone wonders why Mugabe will continue being sanctioned? If Mugabe continues doing as he pleases with his human rights abuses with total impunity irrespective of the consequences of how his actions affect the Zimbabwean, then the Americans are justified sanctioning him. The ball is indeed in Mugabe's court with nothing to do with land (that never left the country) which is in the hands of Zimbabweans.
It is amazing how brainwashing works. No matter which way the compass points, they continue following the direction of that brainwash.
Nowhere do the Americans or the European Union ever state that sanctions are on the Zimbabwean people and neither have they ever said that the reason for or removal of sanctions will be contingent to land being given back to whites. Sanctions have always been clearly stated as being either "on the GOVERNMENT of Zimbabwe" or "on MUGABE"because of his violence and cheating at the polls.
This is the whole American contention in regards to the Mugabe regime, "Sanctions were a response to a violent electoral process"...."the US would only lift its own sanction ON MUGABE when they are satisfied with its electoral conditions in Zimbabwe".... "a credible ELECTORAL PROCESS FREE OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION would make our current policies irrelevant".... "the ball is entirely on their court."
Already Mugabe's militia are busy roughing up people even barring the opposition from entering certain districts and you wonder why Mugabe will continue being sanctioned? If Mugabe continues doing as he pleases with his human rights abuses with total impunity and irrespective of the consequences of how his actions affect the Zimbabwean, then the Americans are justified sanctioning him. The ball is indeed in Mugabe's court with nothing to do with land ( never left the country) which is in the hands of Zimbabweans.
"It is amazing how brainwashing works..."
kjrs, lying and ignorance works the same way. No matter how often facts and truth are presented to them, liars with little interest in either will continue to pound out their propaganda. Anyone who can't understand or won't accept the fact that the sanctions imposed by both the US and EU on the Zimbabwean government and businesses, which deny access to the global credit and financial markets, and is therefore sanctions on the ordinary Zimbabwean people, is at least a fool. And such fools render anything that they say on the subject null and void.
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