The United States has imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe’s state security minister, Owen Ncube.
Owen Ncube is accused by the US government of being involved in “gross violations of human rights.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Friday that the “Zimbabwean government’s use of state-sanctioned violence against” protesters, opposition leaders and labor leaders.
The statement further noted that the US government “has credible information that Owen Ncube was involved in gross violations of human rights in his capacity as Zimbabwe’s Minister of State for National Security.”
“We urge the government to stop the violence, investigate, and hold accountable officials responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Zimbabwe,” the statement added.
The statement concluded saying “We will continue to press the Government of Zimbabwe to implement necessary political and economic reforms to provide Zimbabwean citizens the prosperity, security, and well-being they deserve.”
Today, I publicly designated Owen Ncube for his involvement in a gross violation of #HumanRights in #Zimbabwe. State-sanctioned violence in Zimbabwe must end now and those responsible for human rights violations must be held accountable.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 25, 2019
Anti-sanctions protest
This latest sanction from the US government came at a time Zimbabweans took to the streets to protest against foreign sanctions.
Government officials including the President insist that sanctions particularly from the United States of America have made it impossible for any major progress to be achieved in growing and rebuilding the Zimbabwean economy.
For over two decades Zimbabwe has struggled to rebuild its economy and sanctions have been blamed largely for this.
Last month at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his government has made progress in spite “of the sanctions we continue to face.
Sanctions are slowing down our progress, inhibiting our economic recovery and punishing the most vulnerable.
Zimbabwe deserves a new start. Sanctions are a lose-lose game. Co-operation is a win-win.”
Source: Africafeeds.com
