Billy Timmins
Ceist:115 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give an assessment of the effect of EU sanctions against certain Zimbabwean politicians and officials. [9988/03]
Written Answers. - EU Sanctions.
Following on from the discussion at the External Relations Council, on 18 February 2003 the EU extended for a further 12 months the sanctions it had imposed on Zimbabwe. The sanctions include an embargo on the sale or supply to Zimbabwe of arms or equipment which could be used for internal repression; a freezing of funds or assets belonging to listed individuals; and a ban on travel to, or transit through, the EU by these individuals.
The targeted sanctions are aimed solely at those whom the EU judges to be responsible for the violations of human rights in Zimbabwe, and are designed not to adversely affect the ordinary people of Zimbabwe.
The sanctions are a clear display of the EU's concern at the serious situation in Zimbabwe. Sanctions are having an impact. They are restricting the regimes freedom to operate at an international level, freezing bank accounts held in EU financial institutions and banning the sale of arms or instruments of repression. I consider that sanctions have been effective in highlighting our opposition to the regimes policies and serve as a means of increasing pressure on the government of Zimbabwe.
The EU is consistently vocal in its opposition to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. On 28 March, the EU issued a declaration condemning the violence and repression against the opposition following the two days of national strikes called by the opposition on 18 and 19 March. The EU is particularly concerned about the high level of arbitrary arrests.