afrol News, 16 September - United States and European Union have vowed to keep Zimbabwe sanctions until new government restores order and democracy. The announcement comes despite signing of a power sharing deal in Zimbabwe's capital Harare on Monday.

Announcing EU bloc's decision to hold on widening sanctions, EU foreign policy commissioner Javier Solana said: "We have to analyse, it's still not clear what is going to be the outcome of the agreement."

EU foreign ministers said measures would continue until new government took steps to restore peace and democracy.

According to a statement by 27 EU ministers, they would watch for agreement's implementation, especially immediate cessation of all forms of intimidation and violence on Zimbabweans.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Zimbabwe's new administration would have to make significant progress before lifting of sanctions could be considered.

EU, United States and other Western nations have since 2002 maintained sanctions against president Mugabe's government as punishment for his controversial seizure of white farmland for redistribution to landless blacks, failure to uphold rule of law, human rights and democracy.

British government said it was ready to support new government in Harare but would wait to see how power-sharing agreement is implemented on the ground before it could decide whether to channel aid to the economically battered southern African country.

"In principle we stand ready to support Zimbabwe's new administration, to bring about much-needed change, but extent and nature of our support will be determined by actions that new administration takes on the ground," Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesperson said yesterday.

A senior US diplomat said Washington was willing to help Zimbabwe, but would need to see proof that Mr Mugabe had relinquished some genuine power to Mr Tsvangirai, leader of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The full details and content of the deal have not been confirmed but it proposes a 50-50 division of power, with Mr Mugabe remaining head of state.

Mr Tsvangirai will head a council of ministers, which will be responsible for the day-to-day managing of the country's affairs. The MDC and its breakaway faction are expected to have 16 ministerial posts, while president Mugabe's Zanu-PF party will have 15.

Meanwhile, Swaziland's King Mswati III called on international community to help fund Zimbabwe's economic recovery, urging Western nations to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe's government and instead avail all possible financial support to help the country's comatose economy recover.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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