“US Imposes New Sanctions on Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa and Senior Leaders”

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"US Imposes New Sanctions on Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa and Senior Leaders"

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The US has placed sanctions on Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, citing corruption and human rights abuses. These sanctions also affect other senior leaders, freezing their assets in the US and restricting their travel there.

This new action replaces a broader sanctions program that was implemented two decades ago. The White House stated, “We continue to witness gross abuses of political, economic, and human rights.” It criticized the targeting of civil society and severe restrictions on political activity, as well as the siphoning off of public resources for personal gain by government leaders, contributing to a global criminal network of bribery, smuggling, and money laundering.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted “multiple cases of abductions, physical abuse, and unlawful killing” in Zimbabwe, leading to a climate of fear among its people. The White House emphasized its commitment to holding accountable those responsible for such exploitation.

In addition to President Mnangagwa, the US has sanctioned 10 other individuals and three businesses, including First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri, presidential advisor Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and their associated entities.

The Zimbabwean government criticized the new sanctions, with spokesman Nick Mnangagwa calling them “illegal.” Farai Muroiwa Marapira, a spokesman for Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu PF party, noted that if senior officials remain sanctioned, Zimbabwe remains burdened by this “illegality.”

The US first imposed economic and travel sanctions on Zimbabwe in the early 1990s, targeting then-President Robert Mugabe and other high-ranking officials for undermining democracy. Several other countries, including the UK and EU members, have also placed sanctions on Zimbabwe. President Mnangagwa has previously blamed these sanctions for hindering the country’s development.