Tremont Dismisses Anti-Sanctions Protestors Outside U.S. Embassy As "Just For Show"
Pamela Tremont, the new US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, remains unbothered by the anti-sanctions protestors camped outside the embassy, describing their presence as “just for show.”
The protestors, part of the Broad Alliance Against Sanctions (BAAS), have been living at the US Embassy’s entrance since March 2019, insisting they will leave only when sanctions are lifted.
Speaking to local news editors, Tremont said she had not engaged the anti-sanctions protestors. She said (via NewZimbabwe.com):
We hear a lot about the sanctions from the government already without having to engage protestors.
Tremont also dismissed the claim by Zimbabwean authorities that the sanctions are “illegal,” stating that the US has the right to regulate its own banks and prevent them from being involved in corruption.
In March 2024, US President Joe Biden announced the termination of the Zimbabwe sanctions programme, which was initially imposed due to violent land seizures in the 2000s.
The sanctions were established through Executive Orders in 2003, 2005, and 2008, blocking properties of individuals associated with actions against those on the US sanctions list.
Following the end of the broader sanctions, the US imposed stricter restrictions on certain individuals and entities under the Global Magnitsky Act, focusing on human rights abuses and corruption.
People still on the sanctions list include President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his wife Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Owen Ncube, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and CIO Deputy Director Walter Tapfumaneyi.
The Zimbabwean government argues that the sanctions adversely affect ordinary citizens and has demanded their removal.
More: Pindula News
