Zimbabwe: Travel Sanctions (Hansard, 29 January 2003)

§ The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
My Lords, our position on renewing sanctions on the Mugabe regime, including the EU travel ban, remains unchanged. Our objective is to see the current EU common position on sanctions—including the travel ban on 79 members of Zanu PF—rolled-over when it expires in February. This will require a unanimous decision by all 15 EU member states. The matter was discussed at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels on 27th January, but this proved Inconclusive. Further discussions are due to take place tomorrow, 30th January.

§ Lord Blaker
My Lords, I agree with that reply so far as it goes. I do not propose to take time discussing the invitation to visit Paris issued by Mr Chirac to Mr 1128 Mugabe as I wish to discuss a more important question—that is, the renewal of sanctions. Is the Minister aware that the sanctions imposed by New Zealand on Zimbabwe and Mr Mugabe apply to considerably more people than there are on the European Union list? They apply not only to members of Mr Mugabe's party but to his business supporters. Will the Minister arrange to instruct the United Kingdom representative at tomorrow's meeting to propose that sanctions should be extended to some of the financial backers of Mr Mugabe who were named in the report approved by the United Nations Security Council only last Friday—including, for example, Mr John Bredenkamp and his family? Mr Bredenkamp was deeply involved in plundering the Congo in collaboration with Mr Mugabe arid is one of his principal financial supporters.

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord, Lord Blaker, that our instructions to our permanent representative, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, who will be at tomorrow's meeting, will be to press for the most robust package of sanctions and the longest period of roll-over it is possible to negotiate. However, I stress that we must proceed on the basis of a unanimous agreement. The noble Lord will be aware that this matter will be pursued under the common foreign and security policy. That means that all countries will have a veto—and that can sometimes cut two ways.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, will the Minister draw the attention of' our European Union partners—the French, in particular—to the Inter-Parliamentary Union council resolution of 27th September 2002 in which serious allegations were made about the torture of six opposition Members of Parliament? Will she also draw the attention of our partners to the demand made by Mr Morgan Tsvangirai for a judicial investigation into the torture of another MP, Mr Job Sikhala? In view of these allegations, does not the Minister consider that any members of the regime who set foot on European soil should be interviewed with a view to their prosecution under the relevant legislation giving effect to the Convention Against Torture, which has been signed by all European states?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I assure the noble Lord. Lord Avebury, that Her Majesty's Government brings all these matters to the attention of our partners in the European Union and many are supportive of our stance. The noble Lord cited the IPU report of 27th September. I would cite the statement of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 14th January this year. There is ample evidence of the terrible effect that the Mugabe regime is having on a country which was once the breadbasket of the region but which is now riddled with famine and difficulties of the kind described by the noble Lord. We lose no opportunity to make this clear to our partners, and we very much hope that they will listen.

§ Lord Howell of Guildford
My Lords, does the Minister recall that on Monday the noble and learned 1129 Lord the Attorney-General enunciated the principle that heads of state while serving were immune from criminal jurisdiction? Does or does not that apply to those who have been heads of legitimate governments which are now regarded by Her Majesty's Government as illegitimate? Will that apply to Robert Mugabe when he comes to Paris, or will we seek to extradite him?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, as I understand it, it does not apply to former heads of state. If I can be any more forthcoming for the noble Lord on that issue, I shall place a letter in the Library of the House.

§ Lord Elton
My Lords, can the noble Baroness explain what is the difficulty in bringing this matter to a conclusion in Europe? Is the view of the other European countries more forgiving than ours? Why are they not prepared to roll-over the sanctions almost automatically?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, the noble Lord comes to the heart of the question. There is no problem with the roll-over of most of the sanctions—the arms embargo, the assets freeze and a number of other matters— but there is an issue in regard to the travel ban. As they do every other year, the French wish to hold a summit meeting and to invite the heads of state of all the African countries to meet them in Paris. That meeting is due to take place in a period shortly after the sanctions end. The idea the French are pursuing is that there should be a window of opportunity to allow them to do that. There would therefore be a gap in the travel ban of some three to four days. Her Majesty's Government are disappointed that the French take that view.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, in regard to the answer given to the question of the noble Lord, Lord Howell, about the prosecution of heads of state who have left power, did not the House make a declaration on a similar matter when it decided that General Pinochet could be prosecuted? Indeed, he was placed under house arrest in this country. Is that not the case? Am I wrong?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, yes. That is why I answered the noble Lord, Lord Howell, in the way that I did.