Strasbourg, 23/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - By adopting a resolution on the situation in Zimbabwe, during its emergency debates last week, the European Parliament condemns the continued campaign of murders, violence, threats and harassment being conducted by President Mugabe and the party in power, the Zanu-PF, against political opponents, farm workers, white farmers and homosexuals. It also condemns the decision taken by President Mugabe on 6 October 2000 granting amnesty to anyone prosecuted for politically-motivated crimes between 1 January and 31 July 2000. It demand an immediate, complete and impartial investigation into serious crimes and other attacks against human rights. Parliament calls on the European Commission and Member states to suspend all aid to development as long as democracy and the rule of law have not been fully reestablished in the country. Parliament calls on the Commission and Council to envisage action aimed at the Government of Zimbabwe and to open consultations provided for under Article 96 of the Cotonou Accord. Member States, the Council and the Commission are also urged to step up the pressure on Zimbabwe, consistently expressing their concerns as to the respect of human rights in the country on each contact of a diplomatic nature with the authorities of Zimbabwe. This last sentence comes from an amendment tabled by the Liberal Group, adopted by 62 in favour, 45 against and 2 abstentions, that replaces a paragraph in the initial resolution that regretted the decision of the Belgian Government, President Chirac and Commissioner Nielson to meet President Mugabe on 5 and 6 March, or just two days after a brutal murder in Zimbabwe.
During the debate, all speakers, like Dutch Liberal Jan Mulder, demanded firmer action by the Commission and Member States of the Union against the Mugabe regime. Some, like British Conservative Geoffrey Van Orden, pleaded in favour of the complete isolation of the regime. Considering that "if we demonize Mugabe, we shall secure the opposite effect to what we are seeking", Commissioner Erkki Liikanen recalled that sanctions had to be taken as a last resort and that the Commission and Member states had for now opted for dialogue.