UK will assist Harare but Mugabe sanctions remain
JOHANNESBURG – Britain will lift sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle only after Zimbabwe’s unity government has instituted enough reforms to show that the country was firmly on the road to democracy, a top British government official has said.
Writing in the in the Times newspaper on Friday, British foreign minister Mark Malloch-Brown said London was however prepared to support Zimbabwe’s inclusive government.
“We are clear that we must support the new inclusive government, whatever our strong doubts about Mr Mugabe,” Malloch-Brown said, adding the Britain “will not lift the bulk of these measures (sanctions) until we are convinced that Zimbabwe’s transition to democracy has reached a point of no return”.
Mark Malloch-Brown’s comments came as Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was preparing to hold talks with top UK officials next week as part of a three-week campaign to drum up financial support for his power-sharing government with Mugabe.
Western countries led by Britain and the United States slapped the veteran Zimbabwean leader Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party inner circle with travel bans in 2002 protesting against the alleged abuse of human rights and political repression by Harare, throwing the country into years of chaos, characterised by rampant inflation and poverty.
But Tsvangirai and his former political rival formed a power-sharing government in February tasked with steering Zimbabwe back to stability after disputed elections last year plunged the country into crisis.
Tsvangirai who has already during his trip met world leaders like US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday and also meet with business leaders.
Malloch-Brown said it was time to “show a little faith” in efforts to build a new Zimbabwe.
“The reformers who have faced torture and death in pursuit of democracy have chosen to make this government work. We must find ways to support them,” wrote Malloch-Brown, warning Harare to stick to the letter and spirit of the Southern African Development Community brokered unity pact.