Brussels, 28/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Foreign Ministers of the Fifteen, meeting in Brussels to decide on the fate of co-operation between the Union and Zimbabwe decided on Monday evening, unanimously agreed to close consultations begun with the country under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement and inflict targeted sanctions on the authorities if four strict conditions are not met.
The Council conclusions stress that these targeted sanctions will be inflicted: 1) if the Government of Robert Mugabe prevents the deployment of Union observers whose mission should begin on 3 February and continue up to the Presidential elections of 9 and 10 March or if they prevent these observers from working effectively; 2) if the Zimbabwe authorities prevent the international media from free access to the elections to cover them; 3) if a serious deterioration in the situation on the ground is noted, in terms of violation of human rights or attacks on the opposition; 4) if the valuation of the elections reveal that they were not free and fair.
In order to justify the threat of sanctions, the Council invokes failure to respect essential elements under Article 9 of the Cotonou Agreement - respect of human rights, democratic principles, rule of law - , continued serious violations of human rights, the little progress made to guarantee free access to monitors and international media, and the regret that, despite effort deployed to reach a solution, the consultations conducted under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement had not allowed the situation denounced by the Union to be remedied.
The conclusions do not, on the other hand, give any clarification about the kind of sanctions. Jack Straw, British Minister, told the press, however, that they would consist of freezing the visas and assets of 22 members of the regime or of those close to Robert Mugabe, as well as an embargo on arms exports and on equipment likely to fuel internal repression.