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U.S. To Broaden Zimbabwe Sanctions

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The New York Times

Published: June 29, 2008

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - President Bush announced Saturday that the United States was moving to broaden its sanctions against Zimbabwe, for the first time aiming at the government itself as well as a lengthening list of members of its governing elite, because of what he described as "a sham election."

In a statement released by the White House, Bush said that he was instructing the State and Treasury departments to develop sanctions against what he called "this illegitimate government of Zimbabwe and those who support it."

The United States also will be pushing at the United Nations for an arms embargo against Zimbabwe and a ban on travel by officials of its government.

These proposals are virtually certain to run into opposition from South Africa and other governments, but the American sanctions against the government can be carried out unilaterally.

The presidential runoff that was conducted Friday in Zimbabwe has been widely denounced by Western leaders because of state-sponsored violence before the vote and widespread efforts to intimidate voters with threats of beatings if they failed to cast their ballots for President Robert Mugabe, who was the only candidate in the race after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai dropped out last Sunday, citing widespread violence against his supporters.

The White House said the United States would continue to provide food aid to more than a million Zimbabweans and drug treatment to more than 40,000 people with AIDS.

ZIMBABWEAN REFUGEES DEPORTED

South Africa deported about 450 Zimbabweans on Friday night from a border detention center to a homeland beset by political violence and uncertainty, an international aid group said Saturday.

The deportations were "unacceptable" and "in violation of international as well as South African law, which guarantee the right to seek asylum," said Rachel Cohen, head of the South African branch of the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).

South Africa views most Zimbabweans crossing its border as economic migrants, not refugees. Few apply for asylum, in part because it could make it difficult to return.

The Associated Press

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