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BRUSSELS - The European Union is planning to relax sanctions against Zimbabwe — but restrictions will stay on President Robert Mugabe, diplomats said Friday.

On Monday, EU foreign ministers are expected to lift a ten-year ban on the provision of development aid to the Zimbabwean government, sources said.

Assistance to the country is currently being delivered only through non-governmental channels.

The decision would not have any immediate financial effect, but would allow Zimbabwe to be included in the EU’s development plans for 2014-20, the bloc’s next budget programming period that is currently being negotiated.

Ministers were also due to signal their readiness to back “a significant” slimming down of asset freeze and travel ban lists later this year -provided that a foreseen referendum on a new Zimbabwean constitution is concluded successfully, sources in Brussels said.

The EU started to ease sanctions last year, in recognition of the country’s progress towards democracy.

In February, travel bans and asset freezes were lifted for 51 officials and 20 companies, and two pro-Mugabe ministers were allowed to travel to Brussels for talks.

Restrictive measures remain in place against 112 officials and 11 companies.

EU diplomats insisted that no lifting of sanctions was foreseen for Mugabe and his inner circle.

Comments

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Wed May 22 09:27:44 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 20, 2012

Bcauseofanc

My mother is unemployed because of anc!
Eu we need your help here in South Africa slap anc government with sanctions.
Freeze their accounts and do not do business with this government.They only serve their pockets and only those who are connected to them.
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Jul 20, 2012

shaharazad

Bcauseofanc- You must have a personal disorder problem. Who runs the economy in SA? definitely not the ANC, but the white people. Black people are unemployed because these corporations wont train black people into powerful positions. We need to take our country back, with or without the ANC. Stop deluding yourself, start the fight-back
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Jul 20, 2012

beautiful4

eish ntate o,! maswe o kare tshwene jerrrrrrrr man!
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Jul 20, 2012

nyobannahle!!!

YOU KEEP YR EUROPIAN AND I WILL KEEP MY ZIMBABIAN SAID PRESIDENT BRA ROB MOKABE AND SOUTH AFRICA WILL FOLLOW AFTER 2018 WHEN MANDELA DIES 100 YEAR WE SA WILL KEEP OUR SOUTH AFRICAN AND YOU WILL KEEP YOUR EUROPIAN AND JUJU WILL BE THE PRESIDENT FOR SOUTH AFRICAN AND HE WILL BE SANCTIIONED TO GO TO EUROPE AND THERE WILL BE NO VISIT FROM CLINTON WHITE HOUSE FAMILY
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Jul 20, 2012

shaharazad

nyobannahle!!!- Can you enlighten us what exactly are you talking about??? You need your medication
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Jul 20, 2012

GORRILAH

Santions are lifted so the Zimbabweans must go home today all of them or else Xenophobia.
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Jul 20, 2012

moralett

EU must come in SA to take all Zim people and they must go back home where they belong, they VOTE Mugabe out of the government. SA is over populated because of this people, no they must go back home i think now i s time for them to move back, were sick and tidy with them.

And Mogabe as well must tell his people to come back home, here in SA we stay here while the (apartati) people we killed but we did n't run away so zim they must go back and wait for they own problem.
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Jul 20, 2012

Shredder

Give Mugabe a Bells for sticking to his guns. So if Malema and his group goes on with taking the land without compensation we will experience sanctions for something like 20 to 30 years and South Africa will be very poor then the sanctions will be uplifted and the people win because they will be in possession of the land ;-D
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Jul 21, 2012

uMnuz

There's so much hate and obsession of Zimbos on here, Get over it, its boring.
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Jul 21, 2012

WarrenG

Look at this ad old man, still revelling in the glory with his old battle medals ans outdated old green sash. The last dictator...well one of the last...old fool
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