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Zimbabwe faces more sanctions

The European Union (EU) plans more sanctions on Zimbabwe next week unless there is progress in ending political deadlock before a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers, EU diplomats said.

The European Union (EU) plans more sanctions on Zimbabwe next week unless there is progress in ending political deadlock before a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers, EU diplomats said.

The 27-nation bloc has prepared a list of 11 Zimbabwean officials to be added next week to the list of more than 100 officials, including President Robert Mugabe, who cannot travel to the EU, two diplomats said.

One diplomat said the plan was for the EU Council to adopt the additional sanctions today, but that could be postponed if there was progress on the ground.

"All the documents are being prepared ... pending a flash of light in Zimbabwe," a second diplomat said, adding that those to be added to the sanctions list were responsible for violence in the southern African country.

On-off power-sharing talks between President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC have made little progress since they reached a deal in September seen as the best hope of pulling Zimbabwe back from economic collapse.

Critics blame the economic crisis on Mugabe's policies, such as seizing white-owned farms to give to black Zimbabweans.

The 84-year-old leader blames sanctions from Western countries. - Reuters

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