US announces new sanctions on Zimbabwean leader, allies

Zimbabwe has been subjected to sanctions due to ‘severe violations’ of human rights, corruption

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe’s president, the first lady and their close associates for alleged human rights violations and corruption.

A White House statement states that the sanctions target 11 individuals and three entities accused of severe human rights abuses. 

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been accused of shielding illegal gold and diamond traders, instructing officials to facilitate the illicit sale of precious minerals and accepting bribes in exchange for favors.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed ongoing concerns about corruption and human rights violations in Zimbabwe, attributing these actions to crucial government figures responsible for embezzling public funds. 

The White House highlighted a pattern of abductions, physical violence and extrajudicial killings that have instilled fear among the populace.

Zimbabwe has long been a target of U.S. sanctions, initially imposed in the 1990s against former President Robert Mugabe and now extended to Mnangagwa’s administration. 

The sanctions affect prominent figures such as First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and Defense Minister Oppah Muchinguri, along with entities like Fossil Agro, Fossil Contracting, and Sakunda Holdings implicated in corrupt practices.

President Biden’s executive order revokes the previous national emergency and eliminates the Zimbabwe-specific sanctions program, leveraging the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act for the new measures. 

Zimbabwe’s government representative, Nick Mangwana, condemned the sanctions as unlawful and viewed the termination of the old sanctions regime as a validation of President Mnangagwa’s foreign policy.

The statement emphasized that the country will face repercussions if senior officials and corporate entities remain under sanctions. 

Source: Newsroom