EU maintains Zimbabwe sanctions

The European Union declared on Sunday, 13 September 2009 that it will maintain targeted economic sanctions over Zimbabwe, while continuing to provide an annual assistance of 90 million euro, about 130 million US dollars, in aid.

The announcement followed an EU delegation to the country this weekend - the first such visit by the EU in seven years. Swedish international development minister Gunilla Carlsson said sanctions would remain because unacceptable human rights violations in the country do not reflect the spirit of the power sharing deal, signed in February between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabwean justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, a close ally of Mugabe, claimed today that the EU delegation sided with Tsvangirai to undermine the unity government. Meanwhile, Tsvangirai said he would consult the public on whether the fraught unity government was still tenable.

Source: Panos London