African Union Renews Call for Immediate, Unconditional Lifting of Zimbabwe Sanctions
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The African Union Commission has renewed its firm demand for the immediate and unconditional lifting of unilateral sanctions imposed against institutions and individuals in the Republic of Zimbabwe.
In an official statement issued from the continental body’s headquarters, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed profound concern over the persistent, devastating impacts of these restrictive measures on Zimbabwe’s socio-economic landscape.
According to the Chairperson, the prolonged sanctions have severely choked Zimbabwe’s economic development by blocking its access to international financial networks and deterring much-needed foreign direct investment.
Furthermore, the punitive measures have drastically inflated the overall cost of doing business within the country and restricted its capacity to secure vital international development assistance.
The continental body warned that the ongoing economic restrictions continue to present a massive barrier to the country’s national and regional growth milestones.
Specifically, he argued that the sanctions are undermining progress toward Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, the regional macroeconomic convergence and integration targets of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the AU’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Reaffirming the AU’s unwavering solidarity with Harare, the Chairperson pledged that the commission will remain actively committed to supporting Zimbabwe by mobilizing continental and international efforts until the sanctions are entirely removed.
In taking this stance, the African Union explicitly aligned itself with the recent declarations made by the Chairperson of SADC, presenting a unified African front against the unilateral restrictions.
