The Sunday Mail
Mabasa Sasa in Rome, Italy
French and Belgian government officials want to normalise relations with Zimbabwe but are hamstrung by the European Union’s common policy position that maintains sanctions on Harare, diplomatic sources have revealed.
The French, in particular, have expressed frustration with the hard line stance advocated for by Britain, which internationalised its bilateral dispute with Zimbabwe over London’s refusal to honour pledges made in 1979 to compensate its nationals who would lose land forcibly acquired during the colonial era. Yesterday, The Sunday Mail established from diplomats here that France and Belgium were keen to normalise relations.
“French officials have said that calls for total removal of EU sanctions are gaining momentum within the bloc, but they are hindered by the UK’s hard line position. The UK essentially sets the pace on policy towards its former colonies just like the French are the ‘lead country’ when it comes to Francophone Africa issues.
“But despite the existence of the sanctions, France has expressed willingness to openly promote economic co-operation. In fact, since 2013, the government in Paris has been tacitly supporting the efforts of French firms pursuing business in Zimbabwe with their embassy in Harare facilitating initiatives.
“We understand that MEDEF International (the French employers’ federation) has been given the green light to take a business delegation to Zimbabwe early in 2015,” a diplomat said.
Another diplomat added that MEDEF International wanted to take between 25 and 30 top executives on the visit, most of them drawn from the agriculture, food processing, energy and infrastructure development sectors.
The engagements, which could include South Africa-based French firms, will be with the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.
There is also the possibility that senior Government officials will be invited to France, and French MPs may also be on their way to Harare as the two sides seek to restore ties.
A 2006 study by the EU itself on implementation of aspects of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement — through which the embargo was imposed — indicated that the sanctions were illegal and were hurting the country’s economy.
The CPA of 2000 replaced the Lome Convention as the framework structuring relations between 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific nations with the EU.
Article 96 of the agreement outlines that the process of imposing sanctions on any signatory is in violation of human rights, governance and rule of law standards as outlined in Article 8.
The 2006 study says Britain rushed the EU into imposing sanctions and the “explanation for the haste was the forthcoming (2002 Presidential) elections. In other words, foreign policy goals were safeguarded and considered more important than the relationship principle in the Cotonou (Partnership) Agreement”.
Over the years, there have been indications that apart from France and Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Greece are also opposed to the sanctions.
