Zimbabwean president calls on Western countries to lift sanctions unconditionally

On the 25th local time, Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa called on Western countries to unconditionally lift the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, saying that these sanctions have seriously restricted the economic development of Zimbabwe.

October 25 is the “Southern African Development Community (SADC) Counter-Sanctions Day”. Mnangagwa said in a speech that day that despite the sanctions, Zimbabwe is still making progress in realizing its development vision.

Mnangagwa said that Zimbabwe will continue to expand international partnerships and deepen regional integration to open up markets, attract investment and accelerate economic transformation. He said Zimbabwe was seeking to lift sanctions through diplomatic channels and taking measures to improve competitiveness.

Due to historical reasons during the colonial period, most of the land in Zimbabwe has always been in the hands of local white farmers. In 2000, the Zimbabwean government began to implement land reform, nationalizing land from white farmers and distributing it to landless blacks. This move triggered the United States, Britain and other Western countries to impose economic sanctions on Zimbabwe for more than 20 years. In 2019, SADC set October 25 every year as "SADC Anti-Sanctions Day".

In March 2024, then-US President Biden signed an executive order to terminate the sanctions that the United States had imposed on Zimbabwe for more than 20 years. On the same day, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on 11 individuals and three entities, including Mnangagwa. The EU delegation to Zimbabwe issued a statement in February this year saying that the EU had lifted the travel ban and asset freezing sanctions against Zimbabwean individuals and entities, but at the same time announced an extension of the arms embargo for one year.