Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will land on European soil for the first in 13 years after the European Union (EU) lifted travel sanctions on him following his election as Africa Union (AU) chairperson last week.
In 2002 EU slapped Mugabe with travel and economic sanctions on allegations of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. The EU had also imposed asset freezes on Mugabe, his family, political associates and senior government officials. But the EU has now withdrawn its sanctions, saying it will allow the 91 year-old Zimbabwean leader access to Europe for one year and only when travelling on AU business.
“The ban will be lifted when he is travelling under his African Union chairmanship capacity,” EU spokesperson Catherine Ray said on Tuesday. Mugabe has regularly demanded removal of the sanctions which he claims to be illegal and has frequently blamed for the country’s economic strife.
Last year, in early October, EU also opened direct financial aid channel to the government of Zimbabwe. The bloc will from this year start a 234 million Euro ($300 million) five-year funding programme to support health, agriculture and governance initiatives.
Mugabe was appointed the new chairman of the 54-nation African Union on Friday despite disapproval from some international organisations. The announcement was made during AU two-day heads of state summit at the organisation’s headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Mugabe, who has ruled his country since 1980, succeeds Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
In 2002 EU slapped Mugabe with travel and economic sanctions on allegations of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. The EU had also imposed asset freezes on Mugabe, his family, political associates and senior government officials. But the EU has now withdrawn its sanctions, saying it will allow the 91 year-old Zimbabwean leader access to Europe for one year and only when travelling on AU business.
“The ban will be lifted when he is travelling under his African Union chairmanship capacity,” EU spokesperson Catherine Ray said on Tuesday. Mugabe has regularly demanded removal of the sanctions which he claims to be illegal and has frequently blamed for the country’s economic strife.
Last year, in early October, EU also opened direct financial aid channel to the government of Zimbabwe. The bloc will from this year start a 234 million Euro ($300 million) five-year funding programme to support health, agriculture and governance initiatives.
Mugabe was appointed the new chairman of the 54-nation African Union on Friday despite disapproval from some international organisations. The announcement was made during AU two-day heads of state summit at the organisation’s headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Mugabe, who has ruled his country since 1980, succeeds Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.