UK says political progress limited

Canning said Western sanctions on Mugabe and his inner circle would also remain in place until Zimbabweans main political leaders have implemented all provisions of a global political agreement (GPA) they signed last year and is the basis of their nearly eight-month old unity government.

“The progress of course, on the political front . has been far more limited,” Canning told reporters in Harare last Thursday. “We have seen tentative progress, we believe we have seen some tentative progress towards fulfilling the terms of the Global Political Agreement, but we are yet to see substantial progress in the area of governance and human rights.

Under the GPA Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara agreed to work to restore the rule of law, uphold human rights and to implement a raft of political reforms including writing a new constitution to ensure democracy in Zimbabwe.

But the agreement has been violated by hardliners supporters of Mugabes Zanu (PF) party and military commanders who have committed political violence and invaded white-owned private farms. The MDC also says hardliner elements controlling police and the justice system continue to target its leaders and activists such as Roy Bennett for arrests.

Canning said: “The UK wants this inclusive government to succeed. We have in place a travel ban on 203 individuals, we also have a ban on 40 state-owned companies, and these are measures that do not bear on the population. The issue of sanctions is frankly one that will go away if the spirit and the letter of the GPA is carried through.”

It was not possible to get comment from Zanu (PF) or Mugabes office about Cannings statement but the veteran leader and his party insist that they have done more than their fair share to implement the GPA.

They also claim that Western sanctions have had a wider impact beyond the more than 200 targeted individuals and companies to affect the entire Zimbabwean economy and population.

The United States, European Union countries and other Western nations have since 2002 maintained visa and financial sanctions against Mugabe and his senior lieutenants as punishment for their failure to uphold the rule of law, democracy and human rights.

EU officials who visited Zimbabwe last month said he bloc was keen to open a new chapter of relations with Harare but said sanctions on Mugabe would remain in place until there was full implementation of the GPA and full restoration of human rights and the rule of law in the African country.

But Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state have called on the international community to lift the sanctions, saying the unity government the 15-nation regional bloc helped set up had made significant progress in ending a devastating economic and political crisis in the Southern African country.