 Mugabe has been criticized for hanging on to power for more than 28 years |
US President Barack Obama extends Zimbabwe sanctions citing constant challenges to democracy and the failure to resolve political crisis.
In a message to Congress, Obama questioned the actions and policies of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, which he said had undermined Zimbabwe's democratic process.
"The crisis constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions has not been resolved," Obama's message to Congress suggested.
"I am continuing for one year the national emergency with respect to the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe," Obama said in a statement.
The US sanctions against Mugabe are expanded at a time that his long-term rival Morgan Tsvangirai has joined him in country's political scene as Zimbabwe's prime minister after months of political unrest.
"These actions and policies pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue this national emergency and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat," Obama noted.
The African Union and South Africa had called on the international community to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe after Tsvangirai swore in office in February.
In 2008, Russia and China opposed US, French and British sanctions against Zimbabwe through vetoing UN Security Council resolutions that asked for embargos against Mugabe's government, in power for 28-years.
The 85-year-old Mugabe faced a deepening crisis after a controversial election last year, which supposedly eliminated Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition party.
Mugabe has been criticized for hanging on to power for more than 28 years and clamping down on opposition groups. He has also failed to efficiently run the country's economy as Zimbabwe now faces a 231 million percent inflation. Independent finance institutions put it over a quintillion.
Meanwhile the country's health system is also collapsing due to a cholera epidemic, which has killed more than 3,800 people and infected 85,149. Doctors, nurses and other health workers are quitting because they are not being paid, Doctors Without Borders said last month.
"The crisis constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions has not been resolved," Obama's message to Congress suggested.
"I am continuing for one year the national emergency with respect to the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe," Obama said in a statement.
The US sanctions against Mugabe are expanded at a time that his long-term rival Morgan Tsvangirai has joined him in country's political scene as Zimbabwe's prime minister after months of political unrest.
"These actions and policies pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue this national emergency and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat," Obama noted.
The African Union and South Africa had called on the international community to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe after Tsvangirai swore in office in February.
In 2008, Russia and China opposed US, French and British sanctions against Zimbabwe through vetoing UN Security Council resolutions that asked for embargos against Mugabe's government, in power for 28-years.
The 85-year-old Mugabe faced a deepening crisis after a controversial election last year, which supposedly eliminated Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition party.
Mugabe has been criticized for hanging on to power for more than 28 years and clamping down on opposition groups. He has also failed to efficiently run the country's economy as Zimbabwe now faces a 231 million percent inflation. Independent finance institutions put it over a quintillion.
Meanwhile the country's health system is also collapsing due to a cholera epidemic, which has killed more than 3,800 people and infected 85,149. Doctors, nurses and other health workers are quitting because they are not being paid, Doctors Without Borders said last month.
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