2 US Senators, Jim Risch, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chris Coons who is a member of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy sent a letter to The Department of the Treasury secretaries, Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting them to update the list of sanctioned persons in Zimbabwe, US Senate Committe on Foreign Relations reports.
According to the publication, in their letter to the department of the Treasury, the senators wrote:
While the United States has been the top provider of humanitarian and development aid to meet the needs of Zimbabwe’s people, the government of Zimbabwe has implemented a misinformation campaign blaming the country’s woes on targeted sanctions programs implemented by the United States
It is important that the United States communicate to the people of Zimbabwe that our sanctions programs are aimed at deterring human rights abuses, public corruption, the undermining of democratic processes or institutions, and political repression in Zimbabwe. They are not aimed at the Zimbabwean people.
Given the developments in Zimbabwe over the last two years, we urge you to consider enhancing the tools at your disposal, including the use of targeted sanctions, to incentivize changes in behavior by the Government of Zimbabwe,
An update to the list of the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list should incorporate a balance of new designations with appropriate removals.
Meanwhile US Embassy In Botswana yesterday also said Zimbabwe’s economic growth was hindered by corruption and not sanction.
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