Brussels, 09/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - Deeply concerned by the deterioration in the humanitarian situation made worse by the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, and losing patience at Robert Mugabe's refusal to implement the power-sharing agreement signed on 16 September, EU foreign ministers decided on Monday 8 December to toughen sanctions in force since 2004 targeting the Mugabe regime. Carrying out the threat that it had brandished in October, the EU added 11 people actively engaged in violence or human rights violations to the list of 168 people already subject to visa restrictions and to a freeze on their assets in Europe. One person no longer meeting the criteria on the list was, however, taken off it. Speaking to the press, Bernard Kouchner, Council President, pointed out that Morgan Tzvangirai had won the first round of elections in March. “There was perfect consensus among the 27 to say that the time has come for Mugabe to resign”, Javier Solana, EU High Representative for CFSP, said. But the Council's conclusions say nothing of any such consensus. The day when European sanctions were reinforced, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for the dictator Mugabe to leave, adding his voice to those of Gordon Brown, Condoleezza Rice and several African heads of state. (A.N./transl.jl)