2008 Press Releases

Bush Calls for Additional Sanctions Against Zimbabwe’s Rulers 

United States will continue to provide food and medical assistance

By Stephen Kaufman, Staff Writer

Washington -- In response to the Zimbabwean government’s June 27 decision to hold a “sham” presidential run-off election and its campaign of violence against political opponents, President Bush says the United States will prepare additional sanctions against President Robert Mugabe’s regime and will work for strong U.N. and international action to resolve the country’s ongoing crisis.

“The international community has condemned the Mugabe regime’s ruthless campaign of politically-motivated violence and intimidation with a strong and unified voice that makes clear that yesterday’s election was in no way free and fair,” Bush said in a June 28 statement.

He said he had instructed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to “develop sanctions against this illegitimate Government of Zimbabwe and those who support it.” Bush added that the United States will be pushing for “strong action” by the United Nations “including an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and travel ban on regime officials,” and would also be working with Zimbabwe’s neighbors in the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) to resolve the crisis.

A legitimate government in Zimbabwe must reflect the outcome of the March 29 elections in which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won a parliamentary majority against the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), as well as represent the interests of all Zimbabweans, Bush said.

“The United States stands ready to support a legitimate government through a robust package of development assistance, debt relief, and normalization with international financial institutions,” he said. “In the meantime, we will continue to support the people of Zimbabwe by providing food assistance to more than one million people and AIDS treatment to more than 40,000 people.” (See the full text of Bush's statement on Zimbabwe.)

INTERNATIONAL CONCERN

Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) countries -- Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States -- issued a joint statement on Zimbabwe June 27.

In it, the ministers deplored the Mugabe regime’s “systematic violence, obstruction and intimidation -- which have made a free and fair Presidential run-off election impossible.”

The G8 foreign ministers, who were meeting in Kyoto, Japan, also expressed deep concern over the Zimbabwean government’s suspension of humanitarian aid work and called for its immediate resumption on behalf of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.  (See “Food Aid Suspension Could Hurt 4 Million Zimbabweans.”)

“We note that the results of the March 29, 2008, elections must be respected and that any dialogue between the parties must allow a legitimate government to be formed. We will not accept the legitimacy of any government that does not reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people,” the statement says.

On her way to Seoul, South Korea, June 28, Secretary Rice described the G8 statement as “particularly strong,” and that U.S. delegates to the United Nations are working on next steps, including the possibility of a Security Council resolution before the U.S. presidency of the council expires July 1.

“The United States will use everything in our power in terms of … appropriate sanctions.  I think you're likely to see more from Europe,” she said.

Rice said it is time for the international community to take action.  “[I]t's hard to imagine that anybody could fail to act given what we're all watching on the ground in Zimbabwe.”

The full text of the G8 chairman’s statement on Zimbabwe can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Web site.

30 June 2008