Brussels, 19/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a joint resolution of the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, Greens/EFA, UEN and IND/DEM groups adopted on Thursday 18 December in Strasbourg, the European Parliament denounces the “total refusal” by President Robert Mugabe's regime to provide a positive response to the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, where the population is suffering from famine, cholera and HIV/AIDS. Pointing out that the Union has released aid of €10 million, the Parliament invites Harare to waive all restrictions imposed on humanitarian aid agencies. The Parliament - which supports the efforts of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former US President Jimmy Carter and the lawyer for women and children's rights, Graça Machel, for addressing the crisis - also denounces the refusal by the Mugabe regime to grant them an entry visa to the country. The Parliament also condemns the continuing acts of violence perpetrated by the regime in power against opposition supporters, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), as well as the recent wave of kidnappings of human rights supporters, members of the MDC and civil society activists. It calls for their immediate release. It also welcomes recent extension of the list of individuals of the Mugabe regime that are subject to a ban and call for others to be added to the list. The Parliament invites the UN Security Council to contemplate imposing targeted sanctions - ban on displacement and freeze of assets - on President Mugabe and on persons who commit acts of violence or who do not respect human rights. Finally, the Parliament invites the Council and member states to step up their diplomatic action in Africa in order to ensure active support is given to change in Zimbabwe, and invites the Council to encourage the African Union to prepare conditions for active intervention and to remain vigilant about the possible consequences that the bad governance under President Mugabe's party, the Zimbabwe/Patriotic Front (ZANU/FP) could have on the region. The international community is, for its part, called upon to support the country's economic and social recovery as soon as a democratic government is formed and as soon as there are signs of compliance with human rights and rule of law. (E.H./transl.jl)