SALO Public Dialogue: An overview and analysis of recent developments on sanctions against Zimbabwe. – 14 March 2024

This public workshop engaged on the nuances of the United States’ revised sanctions framework against Zimbabwe, including the specific changes implemented, the current sanctions in place, and their implications for Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, and broader international relations.

This week, the United States recalibrated its sanctions towards Zimbabwe by ending the US’s 21-year sanctions on Zimbabwe and introducing new sanctions focused on President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his inner circle. This has elicited mixed reactions from various stakeholders within the country. On one hand, the U.S. has lifted sanctions on a broad spectrum of Zimbabwean individuals and companies, initially imposed in the early 2000s due to allegations of election rigging and human rights abuses. Some within Zimbabwe have hailed this move as a significant vindication of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s foreign policy and an opportunity for economic revitalisation. Conversely, the U.S. has simultaneously introduced new sanctions targeting Mnangagwa, his wife, and a few senior government and military officials, citing ongoing concerns over human rights abuses and corruption. This targeted approach aims to hold specific individuals accountable without being seen by some to be broadly penalising the Zimbabwean population. The sanctions focus particularly on Mnangagwa’s alleged involvement in protecting gold and diamond smuggling operations, which are believed to undermine the country’s economy and contribute to human rights violations.

However, there is ambiguity concerning the nature of these sanctions and their effects on Zimbabwe and the surrounding region. Thus, this workshop aimed to foster a critical dialogue around the implications of these revised sanctions on the regional response to situations of instability, conflict, disputed electoral outcomes, as well as political violence. It is essential to evaluate these sanctions as they remain an important talking point around some key issues for Zimbabwe, including its debt process and human rights situation.

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