News / National
EU removes sanctions on Zimbabwe service chiefs, minister
17 Feb 2014 at 21:35hrs | Views
The European Union (EU) has suspended sanctions on eight high ranking Zimbabwean politicians and military officials.
The EU has however kept President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace on the sanctions list.
The EU will also keep sanctions in place against an army supplier, Zimbabwe Defence Industries. The bloc's weapons embargo on the country will go unchanged too, the diplomats said.
The 28-nation EU bloc, which imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 in protest against the country's land reform programme, has been gradually easing the illegal sanctions over the last few years.
Another decision to be taken by the EU ministers on Tuesday is expected to pave way for the European grouping to resume channelling development aid directly to the Zimbabwean government from 2015 after years in which the bloc shunned the government and worked with charities.
Those removed on the sanctions list on Monday include Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga, Zimbabwe National Army Commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda, Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Perence Shiri, intelligence chief Happyton Bonyongwe, police chief Augustine Chihuri and Didymus Mutasa, who is the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.
The EU has however kept President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace on the sanctions list.
The EU will also keep sanctions in place against an army supplier, Zimbabwe Defence Industries. The bloc's weapons embargo on the country will go unchanged too, the diplomats said.
The 28-nation EU bloc, which imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 in protest against the country's land reform programme, has been gradually easing the illegal sanctions over the last few years.
Another decision to be taken by the EU ministers on Tuesday is expected to pave way for the European grouping to resume channelling development aid directly to the Zimbabwean government from 2015 after years in which the bloc shunned the government and worked with charities.
Those removed on the sanctions list on Monday include Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga, Zimbabwe National Army Commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda, Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Perence Shiri, intelligence chief Happyton Bonyongwe, police chief Augustine Chihuri and Didymus Mutasa, who is the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.
Source - zbc
