The EU foreign ministers criticised Mugabe in a joint statement for “the unilateral decision to form a new government which has not been agreed by all parties,” that the world’s most powerful trading bloc was ready to consider additional measures against the southern African nation’s government.
Mugabe at the weekend allocated the key ministries of defence, home and foreign affairs, information, local government and provisionally finance to his ruling ZANU PF before conclusion of negotiations with the opposition MDC party.
Reacting to what he described as Mugabe’s attempted power grab British foreign minister David Miliband said it was critical to send out a clear signal to the Zimbabwean leader that the EU will not work with a government formed outside the power-sharing agreement.
“I think it is very important that a European signal goes out that we will have no part, and play no part in supporting a power grab by the Mugabe regime,” Miliband told reporters in Luxembourg.
The EU said last month that it was putting on hold any decision about whether to renew sanctions or add fresh ones against Mugabe’s administration in order to first assess implementation of the power-sharing agreement.
The EU has also said the way the power-sharing agreement is implemented will determine whether it will provide support to efforts to rebuild Zimbabwe’s battered economy. – ZimOnline