Secretary Clinton’s Message to Zimbabwe

*** U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain April 17, 2009. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Speaking from Trinidad/Tobago at the Summit of the Americas, Secretary Clinton issued a statement on Zimbabwe’s Independence Day:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday congratulated the people of Zimbabwe on their Independence Day and urged the country’s transition government to continue moving toward reforms.

“The United States has long stood with the people of Zimbabwe in their times of need and will continue to do so,” Clinton said in a written statement.

She said the United States commended the efforts undertaken by Zimbabwe’s transitional government “and the progress it has achieved towards reforms that will benefit the Zimbabwean people.

“The United States encourages the government to continue those important steps as it works for a more promising future for Zimbabwe,” Clinton said.

Despite these words of encouragement, the U.S. has acknowledged it has no plan to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe and Mugabe until more humanitarian progress is made:

Friday, U.S. officials told Reuters there were no immediate plans to lift targeted U.S. sanctions or give major aid until there was firm evidence that President Robert Mugabe was serious about sharing power with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The two formed a unity government in February following bitter post-election feuding and a clampdown by Mugabe’s forces against the opposition.

Mugabe has blamed his country’s economic collapse on Western sanctions but the United States and others counter that the cause of financial decline was his own mismanagement and authoritarian rule.

U.S. targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe include financial and visa restrictions against selected individuals tied to Mugabe, a ban on transfers of military items and a suspension of non-humanitarian aid.

Western donors and foreign investors want to see political and economic reforms, such as reversing nationalization plans, before pumping in large amounts of cash to Zimbabwe.

The United States is a key humanitarian aid donor to Zimbabwe and Clinton pledged continued U.S. help.

Unfortunately, Mugabe is showing little interest in the power-sharing arrangement that was made with the opposition leader, and unless Mugabe eases up in his crackdown on all critics, it is unlikely sanctions will or should be lifted anytime soon and the UN should be doing more, in my view. But at least humanitarian aid from the US is getting through to the people of Zimbabwe.

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