The United States announced sanctions against Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other senior leaders on Monday, shifting from a broad pressure campaign to targeted action.
Citing widespread rights abuses and corruption, the US will block any US-based property and restrict unofficial travel to Zimbabwe by the sanctioned individuals.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo clarified that the sanctions aim to target specific individuals, notably Mnangagwa’s network of government officials and businesspeople responsible for corruption and human rights abuses against Zimbabweans.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the new measures as part of a “stronger, more targeted sanctions policy,” expressing concern over serious cases of corruption and human rights violations.
Blinken emphasized the responsibility of key individuals, including government members, for actions such as looting government funds and perpetrating abductions, physical abuse, and unlawful killings, which have instilled fear among citizens.
In implementing the sanctions, President Joe Biden revoked an earlier sanctions program launched in 2003 and lifted sanctions on Zimbabweans unless specifically named in Monday’s announcement.
Additionally, Zimbabwe will be removed from a Treasury Department list regulating sanctions.
The earlier sanctions, initiated under former President George W. Bush, primarily targeted the Zimbabwean leadership during Robert Mugabe’s tenure and were part of a broader pressure campaign, coinciding with forced land seizures from white farmers.
The Zimbabwean government welcomed the removal of the previous sanctions, attributing them to the country’s economic challenges. Government spokesman Nick Mangwana hailed the move as “a great vindication” of Mnangagwa’s foreign policy. However, he stressed that as long as the president and other senior leaders remain under sanctions, Zimbabwe considers itself subject to illegal sanctions. Mnangagwa, in power for over four decades, won a new term in an August election criticized by international observers for falling short of democratic standards.
Despite initial hopes of improved relations following Mnangagwa’s ascension to power in 2017, Western powers and rights groups argue that the government has continued to suppress the opposition and protests. Those targeted by the latest sanctions include First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe’s first vice president, defense minister, and military chief. Blinken previously announced the US would deny entry to anyone perceived to have impeded the fairness of the last election.
