The Malawi Government has asked the European Union and the United States of America to remove sanctions against Zimbabwe.
In a statement on Friday, Malawi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the international community should work towards lifting the sanctions in order to support the socio-economic development and reconstructuion efforts in Zimbabwe.
“A prosperous Zimbabwe is in the best interest of the people of Zimbabwe and indeed the SADC community as a whole to which Malawi is a member state,” the ministry said.
It added that the Government of Malawi is committed to working with all stakeholders towards the lifting of the sanctions.
The US financial and travel restrictions currently apply to 85 individuals in Zimbabwe, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and 56 companies or organisations. The US also imposed a ban on arms exports to Zimbabwe.
EU sanctions also target specific individuals both within the Zimbabwean government and associated with it.
On Friday, people in Zimbabwe demonstrated against the sanctions saying they are the reason for most of the economic problems that Zimbabwe is facing including power and water shortages.
But the US and EU have always argued that the sanctions have been imposed on individuals and companies and have no impact on the economy.
