* EU expected to keep arms, aid embargoes in place
* Likely to remove a third of people from sanctions list
* ZANU-PF says EU should scrap “illegal” sanctions
By Cris Chinaka
HARARE, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party on Friday slammed the European Union’s
decision to keep up sanctions on the country’s leadership and
accused it of trying to topple its veteran leader.
EU diplomats told Reuters this week the bloc was likely to
keep an arms embargo in place and extend a freeze on development
aid to Zimbabwe for another six months in a decision expected to
be announced later on Friday.
While it would maintain most of its sanctions, the EU was
expected to remove a third of the people from its list of those
affected by asset freezes and visa bans.
ZANU-PF chief party spokesman Rugare Gumbo said the EU
should scrap all sanctions, calling them “illegal” and blaming
them for damaging Zimbabwe’s economy.
“The whole sanctions regime is illegal and racist, and we
are not going to celebrate decisions meant to patronise us while
they act as lords over our political affairs,” he told Reuters.
Continued…
