The European Union may impose further new sanctions against Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government, the Czech foreign minister told reporters Friday. Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the EU presidency, spoke after meeting with his South African counterpart Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. EU development commissioner Louis Michel was also present at the meeting outside Cape Town.
"The European Union is contemplating the implementation of further restrictive measures," he said. "The sanctions, we have not yet decided about them. They would be what we call tailor-made - not hitting the broad population but hitting those who are responsible and in power," Schwarzenberg said. The EU last month widened sanctions on Mugabe's government, including a travel ban on his inner circle.
The EU also expressed deep concern about human rights violations, a cholera epidemic that has claimed 2,100 lives, and "the tendency of Robert Mugabe to make unilateral decisions," Schwarzenberg added.
Mugabe signed a power-sharing deal with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai four months ago, but their agreement to form a unity government has never been implemented, despite a worsening humanitarian crisis marked by severe food shortages. "The best agreements, the best laws are totally senseless if they are not implemented," Schwarzenberg said, adding that the unity accord "is the only starting point we have to the process of democracy and rule of law in Zimbabwe." Despite the stalemate in Zimbabwe, Dlamini-Zuma insisted that forming a unity government was the only way to tackle Zimbabwe's challenges.
"Whether it's the challenges of cholera, declining infrastructure, food security, we need a government, an inclusive government, tackling all those challenges," she said. The second meeting of the so-called "troika" - gathering South Africa, the European Union, and the Czech Republic - also discussed peace and security in the Middle East, re-iterating calls for an immediate cease-fire in the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. While Schwarzenberg said a cease-fire "looks very close indeed", Michel slammed the disrespect of international law.
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