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EU mulls new sanctions on Mugabe | |
(10 minutes later) | |
The European Union is considering fresh sanctions against Zimbabwe's authorities amid reports of escalating violence ahead of the 27 June election. | The European Union is considering fresh sanctions against Zimbabwe's authorities amid reports of escalating violence ahead of the 27 June election. |
The threat is made in the draft text of a statement from an EU summit. | The threat is made in the draft text of a statement from an EU summit. |
The EU is ready "to take additional measures against those responsible for violence," the draft text states. | The EU is ready "to take additional measures against those responsible for violence," the draft text states. |
The news came amid reports opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was under pressure to withdraw from the run-off against Robert Mugabe, Reuters reports. | |
"There is a huge avalanche of calls and pressure from supporters across the country, especially in the rural areas, not to accept to be participants in this charade," opposition Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa told the news agency. | "There is a huge avalanche of calls and pressure from supporters across the country, especially in the rural areas, not to accept to be participants in this charade," opposition Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa told the news agency. |
The EU document does not state what the additional measures might be. | |
The EU already has an arms embargo against Zimbabwe and has placed travel bans on President Mugabe and other senior government and ruling party officials. | |
The African Union and the Southern African Development Community are urged to deploy "a significant number of election monitors as soon as possible and to ensure their continued presence until the electoral process is completed and results officially declared," the statement says. | |
Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of the election - but not outright, forcing a run-off. |