The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Kwesi Quartey has called for the immediate removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the west.
Addressing delegates during the ongoing Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable AU deputy Chairperson Kwesi Quartey, said sanctions on Zimbabwe are hindering development.
” …Silencing the Guns is not simply about Peace and Security, it is also and perhaps more importantly about inclusive sustainable development and the observation and maintenance of Human Rights across the Board.
For us in Africa and perhaps fortuitously for the rest of Africa, the resonance of the UN SDGs 2030 and our own Agenda 2063, have been reinforced by internal development such as the AFCFTA, which is reckoned as a major game changer as far Trade and Development is concerned.
“For us to build the conducive conditions to achieve these lofty ambitions, the AU has called for all the sanctions on this country to be lifted immediately; this is what will allow for more effective engagement of our women and our youth in the multifaceted process of accelerated development. It also means the recognition of the Statistics and Data, to enable evidence-based policy making, based on facts on the ground,” said Quartey.
The call by the African Union to scrap sanctions comes at a time when the European Union renewed targeted sanctions against army aligned individuals and companies urging the government of Zimbabwe to institute political reforms to ease humanitarian and economic crisis.
The European bloc which also scrapped targeted sanctions against four individuals renewed sanctions against the Zimbabwe Defence Industry, a state-owned arms manufacturing and procurement company based in Harare.
