The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
The illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are an injustice and must be removed to allow the country to realise its full potential, a visiting delegation from the Algerian Council of the Nation has said.
The three-member delegation is in the country on Pan-African Parliament (PAP) business.
In an interview, head of delegation, who is also president of the PAP North African Geopolitical Group, Mr Abdelmadjid Azzedine, said the continent was against the continued ill-treatment of Zimbabwe through unmerited sanctions.
What African leaders said about the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe
“We are against the unjust sanctions that were imposed on Zimbabwe and we fully support the country’s fight against these injustices,” he said.
“We have also stood against injustice during apartheid in South Africa and what was happening in Zimbabwe back then and we will continue to do so.”
He said Zimbabwe and Algeria share a long history of cordial relations shaped by their fight against injustice.
“We supported Zimbabwe during the long years of fighting colonisation,” he added.
“Zimbabwe and Algeria have the same way of fighting against injustice; we follow the same path and one example is what is happening in the Western Saharawi. We have the same view and we follow the same path to get rid of these sanctions.”
Mr Abdelmalek Tacherifte and Mr Abdelkader Mameri, who are also members of the Algerian Council of the Nation, made up the rest of the delegation.
“Our visit is the first step in developing our existing relationships, we are here not only as members of the Pan-African Parliament, but also as members of the Algerian Senate.
“We will continue to use our traditional way of connecting the two countries, we want to be here in person and make contact with the Government so that we improve our bilateral relations,” said Mr Azzedine.
The West imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium following the introduction of the land reform programme.
