London, Washington prepare Zimbabwe sanctions
Robert Mugabe votes in his condemned re-election
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Wednesday, 09, Jul 2008 08:11
Robert Mugabe's "criminal kabal" is to face United Nations-imposed sanctions, it has been announced.
The US and UK have prepared a draft resolution imposing the sanctions on the Zimbabwean president for discussion at the UN security council in New York.
The move follows sustained international criticism of the June 27th runoff presidential election, in which Mr Mugabe was re-elected unopposed after a campaign of violence and oppression targeted opposition party supporters.
UK prime minister Gordon Brown told reporters at the G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan that an arms embargo and the targeting of 14 individuals through prohibition and asset-freezing were new measures being introduced.
"There should be no safe haven and no hiding place for the criminal kabal that now make up the Mugabe regime," he said.
It is not clear whether other permanent members of the security council will back the measures. China is expected to agree but Russia, currently involved in a major dispute with the US over the placing of a missile shield in eastern Europe, could disagree.
Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has reportedly been complaining about the sanctions as excessive and "in conflict with the notion of sovereignty".
That appears to conflict with Russia's stance at the G8 summit. It signed up to the joint statement issued by the world's eight richest nations yesterday which rejects the legitimacy of Mr Mugabe's regime.
"We deplore the fact that the Zimbabwean authorities pressed ahead with the presidential election despite the absence of appropriate conditions for free and fair voting as a result of their systematic violence, obstruction and intimidation," the communique says.
It calls for the appointment of a special envoy representing UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and demands the resumption of humanitarian access to the country.
"We will take further steps, inter alia introducing financial and other measures against those individuals responsible for violence," the statement finishes.