he EU already has imposed an arms embargo against Zimbabwe on top of visa and financial sanctions slapped on Mugabe and his top officials as punishment for failure to uphold democracy, the rule of law and stealing elections.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday said in a statement: “(The EU) encourages others to exercise similar restraint at this time by introducing a de facto moratorium on all such sales and welcomes actions which have already been taken in this respect.”
Britain, supported by the United States, has spearheaded the campaign for a wider arms embargo after a Chinese shipment of arms failed to reach Zimbabwe because South African dock workers refused to offload the weapons saying they feared Mugabe could use them to suppress opponents.
Southern Africa’s other maritime states also refused to allow the ship in their ports saying sending more weapons to Zimbabwe could only help worsen a crisis that began after the country’s electoral commission withheld results of the March 29 ballot that Mugabe is said to have lost to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party says Mugabe is delaying results to use the time to unleash violence and terror on voters in a bid to cow them to support him in the second round ballot that, according to the electoral law, should be held within three days of issuing of results.
The MDC says at least 15 of its supporters have been murdered while another 3 000 have been displaced in the violence, which the opposition party has described as a war being waged by state security forces and ZANU PF militants against Zimbabweans.
Britain’s Europe Minister Jim Murphy said from Luxembourg there was need for “an international effort to stop arms going to Zimbabwe until such time as the situation has been resolved and democracy is allowed to run its course.”
Verification of the election results by the candidates was expected to start on Tuesday but could take a week before a final results are released.
EU foreign ministers expressed deep concern over the delay as well as over intimidation, human rights abuses and violence. They said the EU would explore further options for increasing pressure on anyone engaging in state-sponsored violence or intimidation after the election.
EU sanctions include a ban on Mugabe travelling to parts of Western Europe.
The foreign ministers voiced concern at the possible effects for regional stability because of Zimbabwe and called on the SADC regional bloc to “engage with renewed determination with the Zimbabwean authorities”.
The EU statement noted that the 27-nation bloc remained Zimbabwe’s most important donor and stressed its willingness to resume full cooperation as soon as conditions allowed. – ZimOnline
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