MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
05.07.2005
pursuant to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by Cecilia Malmström and Liz Lynne on behalf of the ADLE group
on Zimbabwe
B6-0432/2005
European parliament resolution on Zimbabwe
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Zimbabwe, most recently of 16 December 2004;
- having regard to Council Common Position of 21 February 2005 renewing sanctions against the Mugabe regime and Commission Regulation of 15 June 2005 extending the travel ban;
- having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure;
A. whereas on 19 May, the Mugabe regime intensified its oppression of the people of Zimbabwe by the brutal destruction of thousands of homes in Harare, Bulawayo and other urban areas, to the extent that some 275 000 people, according to UN estimates, are now without shelter or livelihood,
B. whereas the EU has appealed to the government of Zimbabwe to put an end to this operation,
C. whereas those loyal to Mugabe had consolidated their power in the flawed parliamentary elections of 31 March, elections which were marred by oppression and intimidation and failed to meet internationally acceptable democratic standards,
D. whereas G8 leaders will meet at Gleneagles on 6-8 July and the British Presidency of the G8 has put assistance to Africa at the top of its agenda,
E. whereas aid alone can achieve little in Africa without good governance,
F. whereas Zimbabwe is now a failed state, with millions of its people reliant on food aid from the international community, as this country is facing dramatic food shortages and one of the greatest humanitarian crises,
G. whereas, when renewing the targeted sanctions against the Mugabe regime in February, Council committed itself to reviewing those sanctions before the parliamentary elections which took place in Zimbabwe in March 2005,
H. whereas the EU travel ban against Zimbabwe was extended on 15 June 2005 to include some 120 members of the Mugabe regime; whereas this extension will have little impact without rigorous enforcement of the sanctions; whereas Council has imposed no other measures against the Mugabe regime since the 31 March fraudulent elections or following the most recent bout of oppression,
1. Firmly condemns the so-called urban renewal campaign that has destroyed the homes and livelihoods of between 300 000 and 1,5 million Zimbabweans;
2. Stresses that this brutal conflict is blatant proof of the Zimbabwean government's lack of concern for the well-being of the civil population, especially in urban areas, as thousands of families have been left without any form of shelter in the heart of winter, thereby worsening the critical humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe;
3. Regrets the failure of theCouncil to respond to Parliament's consistent calls for increased pressure and adequate steps against the Mugabe regime;
4. Underlines the deeply flawed elections of 31 March, which failed to meet internationally accepted democratic standards;
5. Insists that the Council take serious action to bring about change for the better in Zimbabwe and adopt measures such as the closure of loopholes in existing EU targeted sanctions and the giving of a clear commitment to their rigorous enforcement on the part of all Member States, the curtailing of economic links with Zimbabwe that directly benefit the regime, such as trade with farms controlled by regime members, the identification and imposition of measures against those providing financial backing for the anti-democratic activities of the regime, the prevention of family members of Mugabe's henchmen accessing employment and educational institutions in EU Member States, and ending the return of asylum seekers from Member States until the situation radically changes in Zimbabwe;
6. Stresses common EU/ACP commitments to good governance, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, as well as economic progress;
7. Regrets that the African Union has not put pressure on the Zimbabwean government;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Governments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Zimbabwe, the Government and Parliament of South Africa, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, the UN Secretary-General, the Presidents of the Commission and Council of the African Union and the Secretary-General of SADC.