STORY: Zimbabweans camping in front of U.S. embassy in protest at new U.S. sanctions
SHOOTING TIME: March 6, 2024
DATELINE: March 7, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:07
LOCATION: Harare
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of a tent outside the embassy, members of anti-sanctions addressing a press conference
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SALLY NGONI, Spokesperson, Broad Alliance Against Sanctions
3. various of the U.S. embassy
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SALLY NGONI, Spokesperson, Broad Alliance Against Sanctions
5. various of a man holding a banner and group members walking holding banners and placards with different messages
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SALLY NGONI, Spokesperson, Broad Alliance Against Sanctions
7. various of U.S. embassy official
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LAURENCE SOCHA, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy
9. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): MARTIN ZHARARE, Executive director for Citizens Against Economic Sanctions
10. various of a man holding a placard

STORYLINE:

An anti-sanctions lobby group camping in front of the U.S. Embassy in Harare in protest of U.S. sanctions has vowed that only when all sanctions are lifted will the camp be dismantled.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SALLY NGONI, Spokesperson, Broad Alliance Against Sanctions
"We have been camped outside the U.S. Embassy for almost five years now, and we will remain camping here until all sanctions are removed unconditionally."
   
The camp set up directly in front of the embassy symbolizes Zimbabwean people's horrid living conditions caused by over two decades of sanctions, Ngoni said.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order to terminate a Zimbabwe Sanctions program that has been in effect since 2003, but at the same time imposed sanctions on 11 Zimbabwean individuals, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and three entities, over their alleged involvement in corruption or human rights abuses under America's Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SALLY NGONI, Spokesperson, Broad Alliance Against Sanctions
"We feel it's a milestone that they removed the executive orders, the three executive orders, although we also feel that they also slapped us on the face. Why? Because they added 14 more entities and individuals on the sanctions list."

Ngoni noted that the U.S. still maintains sanctions under the Zimbabwe Democracy Recovery Act (ZIDERA) that was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2001.
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SALLY NGONI, Spokesperson, Broad Alliance Against Sanctions
"The fact that ZIDERA is still there, and that the president of the United States of America never mentioned anything about repealing ZIDERA in his statement, it's just a clear indication that sanctions are still there."
   
Last year, the group filed a court application at the High Court in Harare, seeking reparations from the United States for imposing the sanctions.
   
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Harare Laurence Socha said the sanctions only targeted "specific and clear individuals and entities."
   
SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LAURENCE SOCHA, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy in Harare
"U.S. sanctions are not on the country of Zimbabwe. We are refocusing our sanctions on specific and clear individuals and entities."
   
Zimbabwean authorities deny Washington's allegations of human rights abuses, and say sanctions were a direct response to Zimbabwe's land reform program that took place in the early 2000s to correct colonial land ownership imbalances.

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): MARTIN ZHARARE, Executive director for Citizens Against Economic Sanctions
"They are actually illegal, and there is no basis that the people of America should keep on making the people of Zimbabwe suffer, decimating our human rights, our health and every sector of the economy has been affected by these sanctions."
   
In a statement Wednesday night, the Zimbabwean government condemned the U.S. piecemeal removal of sanctions and called for a total removal.

"Nothing short of some prompt, unconditional removal in toto of those illegal coercive measures, including the infamous Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, is acceptable to Zimbabwe and her long-abused, innocent people," said the presidential spokesperson George Charamba.
   
The Zimbabwean government strongly rejects the United States' damaging accusations against the sanctioned people, and demands that the Biden administration must provide evidence to back their accusations, otherwise the accusations must be unconditionally withdrawn, Charamba said.
   
Zimbabwean authorities have denied the U.S. allegations of human rights abuses, and said that the sanctions were a response to Zimbabwe's land reform program, which took place in the early 2000s and intended to correct colonial land ownership imbalances.
   
Officials say the sanctions have pounded Zimbabwe's economy. According to the finance ministry, the country lost correspondent banking relationships with international banks over the past years due to the sanctions.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Harare.
(XHTV)