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Sep 12 2009

EU Troika: “Key to re-engagement is implementation of GPA”

For the first time in seven years a high-level EU delegation came to Zimbabwe 12-13 September. The troika was led by Swedish Minister for International Development Co-operation Gunilla Carlsson and comprised the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Karel De Gucht as well as a representative of the European Council secretariat.

The EU troika arrived in Zimbabwe shortly after the EU South Africa Summit in Cape Town in September were Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Jacob Zuma jointly called for the parties in Zimbabwe to continue the reform agenda of the power sharing agreement, the GPA. The delegation met with the three principals of the agreement; Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara. The delegation also met with other ministers in the government and with representatives of civil society.

The purpose of the visit was to reiterate the EU’s engagement in Zimbabwe and to call for more democratic reforms. The aim of the EU is to reinstall a normal diplomatic relationship and full development cooperation with Zimbabwe. The joint-EU mission underlined the urgent need for the unity government to implement the Global Political Agreement in order for the EU to be able to fully re-engage.

“We still have a lot of reports of human rights abuses, and that's unacceptable. We want to see more changes on the ground”, Gunilla Carlsson said during the visit.

The EU imposed restrictive measures on the Zimbabwean government in 2002 after President Mugabe barred an EU-delegation from coming to observe the presidential elections, which were won by the veteran leader. The restrictive measures entail travel bans and freezes of assets for Mugabe and 202 other individual members of his inner circle and party Zanu-Pf. There are also 40 companies on the restrictive measures list. The EU has not imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe as a country, nor are there any economic sanctions, apart from a weapon embargo.

“The European Union has never stopped helping Zimbabwe. In fact, between 2002 and 2009 roughly 600 million Euros have gone to support the Zimbabwean population and we are now also giving so called “transitional aid” for instance to health and education. In 2009 alone we will invest 90 million Euros in Zimbabwe”, said Commissioner De Gucht while in Zimbabwe.

The EU troika was pleased with the visit and the meetings with the GPA principals, but also emphasized that more progress is needed before the relationship between the EU and Zimbabwe can be normalized.

“No amount of lobbying by any party in the inclusive government could force the removal of the restrictive measures unless the political parties in Zimbabwe have further substantive progress”, minister Carlsson stressed.

Article by Christina Weibull and Jenny Wright

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