This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
Published on August 17, 2019, Tanzania's Foreign Minister Palamagamba Kabudi has vowed to prioritize efforts to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe, citing the need to alleviate the country's economic crisis.
The sanctions, imposed by the European Union in 2002, remain in place despite a democratic change of leadership in Zimbabwe following the removal of former President Robert Mugabe in 2017.
Mr. Kabudi made the pledge ahead of the SADC heads of state summit in Dar es Salaam, where the regional bloc's priorities will be discussed.
The sanctions, which include an international arms embargo, assets freeze, and travel ban on Mugabe-era government officials, affect most leaders of the ZANU-PF ruling party, top military figures, and some government-owned firms.
Despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over as leader of Zimbabwe, the US has extended the sanctions by another year, citing the policies of the new administration as an 'unusual and extraordinary' threat to US foreign policy.
Tanzania's intervention may be seen as controversial, given its own human-rights record, which has been criticized by the US and some EU nations over allegations of a government crackdown on opposition and passing of controversial laws.
