Switzerland considers Zimbabwe sanctions

The Swiss cabinet will have to decide whether Switzerland will impose sanctions on Zimbabwe Keystone Archive

Switzerland is examining its trade relations with Zimbabwe to determine whether to impose sanctions on the African nation.

The announcement follows a decision by the European Union to implement sanctions against President Robert Mugabe’s government for not allowing election observers to monitor next month’s presidential elections in Zimbabwe.

The EU sanctions, which will affect Mugabe and 19 of his close political associates, include freezing their assets in the EU and an embargo on the supply of arms to Zimbabwe.

Switzerland is contemplating whether to impose sanctions similar to those ordered by the EU, however, Daniela Stoffel, spokeswoman for the Swiss foreign ministry, thinks that Switzerland’s position may differ.

“Switzerland’s position on arms exports to countries likes Zimbabwe has already been sorted out. Under the current law we are not allowed to export any arms to Zimbabwe in any case,” she told swissinfo.

Alan Kocher, head of communications for the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Seco, said that even though Switzerland’s sanctions would differ from those imposed by the EU, the Swiss would take strong measures.

“We would impose financial sanctions, freeze bank accounts held by Mugabe and his entourage and implement travel restrictions,” he told swissinfo.

The right time

Another key element of the foreign ministry’s decision is to impose the sanctions at the right time. With the presidential elections taking place on March 9 and 10, Stoffel is not sure whether it is better to hold off the embargo until after the elections.

“We don’t know whether it is wiser to implement sanctions before the elections or wait and see what’s happening there and decide afterwards. It’s not that Switzerland would have to follow suit immediately,” she said.

However, an immediate implementation would not be possible in any case, as the Swiss cabinet will have to decide on the sanctions and, as Stoffel explained, such a cabinet decision requires time to organise.

Zimbabwe is only a minor trading partner of Switzerland, with Swiss imports from the African country accounting for a mere 0.5 per cent and Switzerland’s exports to Zimbabwe only making up two per cent of the country’s total exports.

According to the Swiss National Bank, Zimbabwe only held a total of SFr114 million ($67 million) in Swiss bank accounts at the end of 2000.

by Billi Bierling and Ramsey Zarifeh