Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. United States President Joe Biden has renewed sanctions on Zimbabwean government officials for allegedly undermining “Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions”.
This comes about a month after the United Kingdom announced its first set of sanctions targeting four Zimbabwean security chiefs since leaving the European Union.
The UK sanctioned State security minister Owen Ncube, police chief Godwin Matanga, Central Intelligence Organisation boss Isaac Moyo and former Presidential Guard commander Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe.
Meanwhile, in a notice sent to Congress on Wednesday, President Biden also accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of posing “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States.” The sanctions have been extended by another year.
Below is the notice which Pindula News is publishing in its entirety.
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO ZIMBABWE
On March 6, 2003, by Executive Order 13288, the President declared a national emergency and blocked the property of certain persons, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions. These actions and policies had contributed to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe, to politically motivated violence and intimidation in that country, and to political and economic instability in the southern African region.
On November 22, 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13391 to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 by ordering the blocking of the property of additional persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe.
On July 25, 2008, the President issued Executive Order 13469, which expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 and authorized the blocking of the property of additional persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe.
The actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2003, and the measures adopted on that date, on November 22, 2005, and on July 25, 2008, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2021. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to Congress.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
THE WHITE HOUSE, March 3, 2021.
