Sanctions on Zimbabwe will not be removed...at least for now

There is an ark that bends towards justice and the United States has shown that she is indeed standing up as the hegemon and giving voice to the many voiceless people who are being victimized by the Mugabe regime simply because they want to excercise their democratic right to participate in their own democracy.

Ms. Susan D. Page, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs echoed the following sentiment on behalf of the US Department

But frankly, as long as these violations of human rights, the lack of respect for civil and political rights of the people of Zimbabwe, as long as they continue, we really can’t lift the sanctions at this time, because people are looking to us as if we are the problem. And we are encouraging the Zimbabweans to look at themselves and address the problems that they’ve brought upon themselves.

She went on further to explain

So – but again, we stress the fact that as long as these violations of human rights, these arbitrary arrests, continued violence and brutality continue, we’re not in a position to lift our sanctions despite how they want to characterize them. And the sanctions that we have, as I mentioned, are very specific. They’re travel bans and asset freezes. And they affect 244 individuals and institutions, companies. That’s it.

We were advocating that sanctions not be removed until free and fair elections that ensure that there is no violence in Zimbabwe.

What is the reaction from Senator Inhofe's office since he declared

Under this new government, the Zimbabwe economy is starting to recover and democratic freedoms are reemerging

This is a victory for all the Zimbabweans living in Zimbabwe when the world says we will not be blinded by diamonds and we will stand up for democracy. More importantly it is the voice of the Zimbabwean that refuses to be quiet and stand up to fight for Zimbabwe. Finally Zimbabweans are demanding that they participate in the affairs of their own country and that they will not be silenced by violence or the prospect of diamond sales. Democracy is priceless,Zimbabweans must be heard.
 The violence that has ensued since the constitutional process began was all in an effort to silence the people into submission. The world did not stay silent and watch violence take place. Now we will see who really stands up for democracy.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, "In the end we remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.'