President George W. Bush on Friday signed an order expanding US sanctions against the "illegitimate" Zimbabwe government of President Robert Mugabe. "This action is a direct result of the Mugabe regime's continued politically-motivated violence," Bush said in a statement.
Mugabe won a landslide victory last month in a vote condemned by Western nations and boycotted by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who cited government-sponsored violence and intimidation. The Treasury Department said it would seek to freeze assets on 17 Zimbabwe enterprises.
Bush said he took the step after Mugabe's government disregarded calls from the African Union and the United Nations to stop attacks. "Should ongoing talks in South Africa between Mugabe's regime and the Movement of Democratic Change result in a new government that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people, the United States stands ready to provide a substantial assistance package, development aid, and normalisation with international financial institutions," Bush said.
He authorised using up to $2.5 million from the US Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to help Zimbabwean refugees and asylum seekers displaced by the violence.
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