News / National
Mnangagwa summons Trump's Ambassador over sanctions
03 Aug 2019 at 09:34hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT yesterday summoned the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols over the placement on sanctions of Zimbabwe's Ambassador-designate to Tanzania, Anselem Sanyatwe and his wife, Ms Chido Machona on allegations that the former violated human rights.
Ambassador Sanyatwe is a former Commander of the Presidential Guard.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Mr Shepherd Gwenzi said the Ministry's permanent secretary Ambassador James Manzou met Ambassador Nichols yesterday.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on 2 August 2019 summoned the Ambassador of the United States of America to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Brian Nichols. He met the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ambassador James Manzou and the purpose of the summons was to express displeasure of the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe over the public designation of His Excellency Lieutenant-General (Rtd) Anselem Sanyatwe, currently Zimbabwe's Ambassador-designate to the United Republic of Tanzania and former commander of the Zimbabwe National Army's presidential Guard Brigade, by the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo under section 7031(c) FY 2019, Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programme, Appropriations Act (Div.F.P.I.116.6), allegedly for gross violations of human rights related to the August 1, 2018 post-election incident," he said.
The Ministry described the US' decision to place Ambassador Sanyatwe on its sanctions list as regrettable, saying it comes at a time Zimbabwe is intensifying the implementation of political and economic reforms, including recommendations by the Motlanthe Commission's Report.
"This runs counter to the spirit and substance of re-engagement. These sovereign processes must be allowed to conclude. That notwithstanding, the Government of Zimbabwe will continue with its reform agenda and its efforts on engagement and re-engagement, in pursuit of the national vision of making Zimbabwe an Upper Middle Income country by 2030," said Mr Gwenzi.
The US seeks to apportion blame on Government security forces for the death of six people during opposition-instigated violence on August 1 last year, which was orchestrated to delegitimise the outcome of the harmonised elections which President Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF party won resoundingly.
The polls had won lots of praise from observer missions and other stakeholders for their peaceful and orderly conduct before opposition MDC-Alliance supporters' unleashed mayhem following threats by the party's leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa that he would not accept defeat.
President Mnangagwa instituted an international panel of experts to inquire into the incident and has since been implementing its recommendations, including reform, retraining and up skilling of the police service, the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Government said while it was pursuing a policy of re-engagement and rapprochement with some members of the international community, this should not be construed as appeasement. It said its position is that sanctions imposed on the country are illegal and "any escalation of the same is counterproductive".
Ambassador Sanyatwe is a former Commander of the Presidential Guard.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Mr Shepherd Gwenzi said the Ministry's permanent secretary Ambassador James Manzou met Ambassador Nichols yesterday.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on 2 August 2019 summoned the Ambassador of the United States of America to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Brian Nichols. He met the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ambassador James Manzou and the purpose of the summons was to express displeasure of the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe over the public designation of His Excellency Lieutenant-General (Rtd) Anselem Sanyatwe, currently Zimbabwe's Ambassador-designate to the United Republic of Tanzania and former commander of the Zimbabwe National Army's presidential Guard Brigade, by the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo under section 7031(c) FY 2019, Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programme, Appropriations Act (Div.F.P.I.116.6), allegedly for gross violations of human rights related to the August 1, 2018 post-election incident," he said.
The Ministry described the US' decision to place Ambassador Sanyatwe on its sanctions list as regrettable, saying it comes at a time Zimbabwe is intensifying the implementation of political and economic reforms, including recommendations by the Motlanthe Commission's Report.
"This runs counter to the spirit and substance of re-engagement. These sovereign processes must be allowed to conclude. That notwithstanding, the Government of Zimbabwe will continue with its reform agenda and its efforts on engagement and re-engagement, in pursuit of the national vision of making Zimbabwe an Upper Middle Income country by 2030," said Mr Gwenzi.
The US seeks to apportion blame on Government security forces for the death of six people during opposition-instigated violence on August 1 last year, which was orchestrated to delegitimise the outcome of the harmonised elections which President Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF party won resoundingly.
The polls had won lots of praise from observer missions and other stakeholders for their peaceful and orderly conduct before opposition MDC-Alliance supporters' unleashed mayhem following threats by the party's leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa that he would not accept defeat.
President Mnangagwa instituted an international panel of experts to inquire into the incident and has since been implementing its recommendations, including reform, retraining and up skilling of the police service, the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Government said while it was pursuing a policy of re-engagement and rapprochement with some members of the international community, this should not be construed as appeasement. It said its position is that sanctions imposed on the country are illegal and "any escalation of the same is counterproductive".
Source - chronicle
