Johannesburg — European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed to impose targeted sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and 19 close aides of the Zimbabwean leader. The EU also announced the withdrawal of its election observer team, sent to Zimbabwe to monitor the March 9-10 presidential poll and the run-up to the ballot.
The EU move follows the expulsion from Zimbabwe, on Saturday, of the head of the EU election monitoring mission, the Swedish diplomat, Pierre Schori. He was ordered out of the capital, Harare, after the authorities accused him of "political arrogance".
They also said Schori was in breach of his conditions attached to his tourist visa and guilty of "imposing himself on our electoral process," by speaking to the media about the forthcoming presidential poll.
Mugabe has implied that the European observers had no business monitoring the election, saying, "We dont go to their country to supervise their elections." This sentiment was echoed by the current interim secretary-general of the Organisation of African Unity, Amara Essy, who said he hoped Africa would no longer need election monitors within a decade.
Mugabe supporters demonstrated outside the headquarters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Harare, Monday, in protest at the EU sanctions. Riot police stepped in and were reported to have arrested dozens of people.
Meeting in Brussels, the 15 EU foreign ministers heard a report from Schori, who recommended an already proposed travel embargo and visa ban on Mugabe and his associates, as well as freezing their assets overseas. "The EU remains seriously concerned at political violence, serious violations of human rights and restrictions on the media - which call into question the prospects for a free and fair election," said a statement following the ministers' meeting.
"Overall, there are no grounds for an effective or credible EU observer mission. There is more violence now and it is reaching into urban areas," Schori told a news conference, adding that Zimbabwean security forces had tried to scare EU observers. He described the attitude of local officials as "aggressive".
The Zimbabwean opposition said the EU sanctions were long overdue. The leader of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabes main challenger in the next month's poll, said the proposed European Union measures had come far too late to change the pre-election tension and violence in Zimbabwe, which he said had already jeopardised the ballot.
Faced with the embarrassing diplomatic prospect of losing credibility, the European ministers were obliged to make good on earlier EU threats and warnings to impose the 'smart sanctions if Mugabe or his government refused to accept European election observers, and failed to give foreign journalists free access and movement to do their work in Zimbabwe without hindrance.
But several European countries, including Portugal, Greece and Finland, had misgivings about the sanctions, arguing that the best way for the EU to ensure democracy in Zimbabwe was to keep its election observer mission in the country.
Zimbabwe had earlier made it clear that election observers from six EU member states, that were especially critical of the Mugabe government, were not welcome. These were Britain, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Denmark.
Observers are concerned that the withdrawal of European Union poll monitors might play directly into Mugabes hands, and strengthen his grip on power, because he was reluctant to countenance the presence of the observers anyway. Local commentators say the fewer international and local election observers on the ground in Zimbabwe, the greater the possibility of the opposition and other critics being intimidated.
The French foreign minister, Hubert Vedrine, expressed regret that sanctions had been imposed before the elections, though he did not oppose the final EU decision. Vedrine however noted that not one African country supported the EUs action against Zimbabwe.
South Africa, which has also sent election monitors to Zimbabwe, said last week that an EU embargo against its northern neighbour would be "unfortunate".
But the British foreign minister, Jack Straw, stressed that "economic sanctions against the people of Zimbabwe have never been an issue. We all take the view that President Mugabe has done quite enough damage to the economy and prosperity of Zimbabwe without us adding to it."
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Straw described the measures against selected Zimbabwean leaders as "personal sanctions aimed at the regime." A statement by the EU ministers reinforced that position. "These targeted sanctions are aimed solely at those whom the EU judges to be responsible for the violence, for the violations of human rights and for preventing the holding of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe."
The sanctions will include an embargo on the provision of arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression within Zimbabwe. Development aid (2002-2007) will also be cancelled.
The European Union statement concluded: "The sanctions are designed not to harm ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe or her neighbours, nor should they prevent dialogue between the EU and Zimbabwe to address its economic and other problems. The EU remains committed to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Zimbabwe."
