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European Union Zimbabwe relations

Relations between the European Union and Zimbabwe , by Ocean Marambanyika

Not much has been written on the subject of the relations between the European Union and Zimbabwe. Most mentions of suh relations are either via newspapers or as paragraphs discussing general relations between the European Union and Africa. Some diplomatically summarised notes can also be found  from the website of the Delegation of the European Union in Zimbabwe. Searching on the net will avail such results. My intention here is to briefly  discuss the relations between the EU and Zimbabwe within the context of human rights and democracy. In so doing it is critical to lay the brief background facts.

A nation that had the greatest hopes to light the way forward for most former colonised nations was Zimbabwe. Her story from the attainment of independence on 18 April 1980 was well praised in many capitals of the globe. The country embarked on a  command or mixed economic approach whereby elements of capitalism and social democracy were fused together. As such the education, health, infrastructures and agricultural sectors of the economy blosommed. The EU was instrumental in supporting the innovative policies of the times.  Thus post independence relations were friendly during those times. How then did the relations collapse from the year 2000. Answers to such a question are admittedly challenging. However a fairer analysis can give us three major dynamics that led to the deterioration of relations between the EU and Zimbabwe.

Relations between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom collapsed and the veld fire encrouched relations with the EU. Disagreements between the UK and Zimbabwe on land reform programme and the consequent compensations led to break down of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The United Kingdom then mobilised the EU to be tougher with Zimbabwe. It should be noted that the EU did not agree to the UK mobilisation as a way of sympathizing with London. Some argue that the EU saw the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe as a sufficient basis to punish the country with isolation and the current sanctions regime. Thus human rights was the second major reason for the deterioration of EU-Zimbabwe relations.  The divisive first-to-none reason was the land issue. It was unfortunate that the EU toughened its stance against zimbabwe at the same time that the country was embarking on the land reform programme arguing that the Harare administration was abusing human rights. Human rights violations in post colonial zimbabwe started with the ruling party`s adoption of a seudo one party state in the mid 1980s. During that time the EU could have become tougher and this could have increased the credibility of its arguements today. Whether the harsh and swift response of the EU to human rights violations in Zimbabwe was a response to the land reform programme will remain a puzzle to comprehend. What can not be denied is that the human rights deterioration in the country needed a helping hand to save millions of lives that were on the edges. Can the EU and Zimbabwe relate better today or tommorrow? Can these two entities turn back the hands of time and be friends again? Such are questions that constant and ongoing researches need to continue  deliberating on.

By Ocean Marambanyika

Expert on Peace, Security and Conflict Studies

University of Oslo (Graduate), Norway

oceaniamars@yahoo.no

About the Author

Ocean Marambanyika

Expert on Peace, Security and Conflict Studies

University of Oslo (Graduate), Norway

oceaniamars@yahoo.no

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