Obama Says Sanctions Against Zimbabwean Officials Will Continue

05 March 2009

Documents & Texts from America.gov

By Stephen Kaufman
Staff Writer

Washington — President Obama announced that United States sanctions against Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe and his key supporters will continue, citing an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. foreign policy.

Obama made the announcement March 4 in a written statement, informing Congress that economic sanctions originally declared in 2003 and expanded in 2005 and 2008 would continue in effect for one year beyond the previously set March 6 expiration date. (See "U.S. Sanctions Tightened Against Zimbabwe Regime.")

"The crisis constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions has not been resolved," Obama said. "These actions and policies pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States."

However, the Obama administration has said it is continuing its humanitarian assistance to help the people of Zimbabwe as they continue to suffer from food shortages, a deadly cholera outbreak and continued economic stagnation. (See "United States Wants Evidence of True Power Sharing in Zimbabwe.")

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided more than $264 million in food and health assistance to Zimbabwe since October 2007. The agency has also pledged $6.8 million in emergency water, sanitation, hygiene and health assistance since the cholera epidemic broke out in August 2008.

In a statement released March 4 by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, Obama said Mugabe and others who have been identified as "persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe" will continue to have their access to any assets or property in the United States blocked.

Their actions "have contributed to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe, to politically motivated violence and intimidation, and to political and economic instability in the southern African region," Obama said.

The United States is joined by the European Union in maintaining sanctions against Mugabe and his key supporters, which include some members of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party and other individuals and entities closely tied to Mugabe's regime.