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FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Since independence, Zimbabwe has enunciated and follows a policy of "active nonalignment." In practice, this has meant that Zimbabwe usually adhered to positions established by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM); the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union; or, until it withdrew in 2003, the Commonwealth. Zimbabwe took a particular interest in the search for independence for Namibia (South-West Africa) from South Africa. In addition, as chairman of the front-line states in southern Africa, Zimbabwe spoke out vigorously against the policies of apartheid in South African and frequently called for the imposition of economic sanctions against Pretoria. In November 1982, Zimbabwe was chosen by the OAU to hold one of the non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council for the following two years, which brought it onto the center stage of world events and gave it much-needed experience in international affairs. In 1986, Zimbabwe was the site of the NAM summit meeting; Prime Minister Mugabe became chairman of that organization, giving both Mugabe and Zimbabwe added international visibility and responsibility.
Zimbabwe maintains embassies in the Angola, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, China, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom, the United States, Serbia, Zambia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Libya. Fifty-three countries are represented in Harare, as are several international organizations including UN institutions, the European Union, and the World Bank. Zimbabwe is a member of many international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF); African Development Bank; The World Trade Organization; Southern African Development Community (SADC); Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA); African Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP, in association with the EU); Group of 77 (G-77); Group of 15 (G-15); NAM; African Union (AU); Customs Cooperation Council (CCC); and the World Federation of Trade Unions. Shortly after the March 2002 presidential election, the Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from leadership councils for one year after the Commonwealth's election observer team found the conduct of the election seriously flawed. After this suspension was upheld in December 2003, Mugabe withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. The IMF closed its Zimbabwe office in October 2004.
Historically, Zimbabwe's closest links have been with the U.K.; however, in the past eight years, this relationship has been very strained. The government has demonized Britain in the press, blaming the country for Zimbabwe's problems, and claiming that Britain reneged on promises made at Lancaster House to provide money for land reform. As with the U.S., thousands of Zimbabweans studied in the U.K., and private links remain close; however, official relations are strained.
Other West European countries have ties with Zimbabwe.
The Scandinavian countries share certain philosophical affinities
and have provided much assistance, as have France, Canada, and the
Federal Republic of Germany. Portugal and Greece maintain links partly
because of the sizable Portuguese and Greek communities in the country.
Similar historical ties have led to the establishment of relations
with India and Pakistan, and to a lesser extent, with Bangladesh.
The government's "look east" policy has led to closer diplomatic
relations with East Asian countries such as Malaysia and China.
Zimbabwe maintains diplomatic relations with virtually
every African country, although some ties are closer than others.
African nations with embassies in Harare are Algeria, Angola, Botswana,
DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nigeria, South Africa, the Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Ruled continuously
by a liberation party, Zimbabwe developed and maintains close ties
with a number of revolutionary states and organizations. Among these
are the People's Republic of China, Cuba, the People's Democratic
Republic of Korea, Iran, Libya, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
U.S.-ZIMBABWEAN
RELATIONS
After the Unilateral Declaration of Independence was issued in November
1965, the United States recalled its Consul General from Salisbury,
closed the U.S. Information Service (USIS) library, and withdrew its
Agency for International Development (USAID) and trade promotion officials.
After 1965, the small remaining American consular staff continued to
operate under authority of exequaturs issued by Queen Elizabeth II.
Following declaration of a republic, the United States closed its Consulate
General on March 17, 1970.
In 1971, despite Administration opposition, the U.S. Congress passed
legislation permitting the United States to import strategic materials,
such as chrome, from Rhodesia. The legislation, which took effect
January 1, 1972, was of little real economic benefit to the Rhodesian
economy, and the United States continued to support the balance of
the sanctions program. After the legislation was repealed in March
1977, the United States once again enforced all sanctions.
The United States supported the United Nations and the United Kingdom
consistently in their efforts to influence Rhodesian authorities to
accept the principles of majority rule. Beginning in 1976, the United
States began to take a more active role in the search for a settlement
in cooperation with the British. The Anglo-American proposals of late
1977, aimed at bringing a negotiated end to the dispute, lent the
weight of the United States to the search for a peaceful settlement
and were a counterpart to the Soviet-Cuban use of military power to
increase their influence in southern Africa. The United States supported
British efforts to bring about and implement the settlement signed
at Lancaster House on December 21, 1979 and extended official diplomatic
recognition to the new government immediately after independence.
A resident Embassy was established in Harare on Zimbabwe's Independence
Day, April 18, 1980. The first U.S. Ambassador arrived and presented
his credentials in June 1980. Until the arrival in 1983 of a resident
Ambassador in Washington, Zimbabwe's relations with the U.S. were
handled by its Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) in New York.
At the Zimbabwe conference on reconstruction and development (ZIMCORD)
in March 1981, the United States pledged $225 million over a 3-year
period toward the government's goals of postwar reconstruction, distribution
and development of land, and the development of skilled manpower.
By the end of FY 1986, the United States had contributed $380 million,
the majority in grants, with some loans and loan guarantees. However,
in July 1986, the U.S. Government decided to discontinue future bilateral
aid to Zimbabwe as a result of a continuing pattern of uncivil and
undiplomatic statements and actions by the Government of Zimbabwe
in the United Nations and elsewhere. Aid programs previously agreed
upon were not affected by the decision, nor were regional development
programs that might benefit Zimbabwe. Full programming was restored
in 1988.
USAID assistance to Zimbabwe since 2002 has focused on family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention, democracy and governance programs, emergency food aid, and assistance to internally displaced persons. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began a direct assistance program in August 2000. CDC's program consists of prevention of HIV transmission; improved care of persons with HIV/AIDS; surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation of the epidemic; and health sector infrastructure support.
Since 2000, the United States has taken a leading role in condemning the Zimbabwean Government’s increasing assault on human rights and the rule of law, and has joined much of the world community in calling for the Government of Zimbabwe to embrace a peaceful democratic evolution. In 2002 and 2003, the United States imposed targeted measures on the Government of Zimbabwe, including financial and visa sanctions against selected individuals, a ban on transfers of defense items and services, and a suspension of non-humanitarian government-to-government assistance. Despite strained political relations, the United States continues as a leading provider of humanitarian assistance to the people of Zimbabwe, providing about $400 million in humanitarian assistance from 2002-2007, most of which was food aid.
President Mugabe visited Washington informally in September 1980, and on official working visits in September 1983, July 1991, and in 1995, meeting with Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton respectively. He has also led the Zimbabwean delegation to the UN on several occasions, including the UN General Assembly in 2008. Vice President George H.W. Bush visited Harare in November 1982 on a trip to several African countries.
DEFENSE
At independence, then-Prime Minister Mugabe declared integrating Zimbabwe's then three armed forces as one of his government's top priorities. A unified army was created by combining the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), the Zimbabwe Peoples' Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), and the Rhodesian Security Forces (RSF). In July 1994, the combined Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) Headquarters was created. Currently the armed forces of Zimbabwe are completely integrated and are composed of an army (ZNA) and an air force (AFZ).
The Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) is under the command of the president, who is
the commander-in-chief of the Defense Forces. He is assisted by the Minister of
Defense, who is responsible for the administrative and logistical support of the
Defense Forces, and the commander of the Defense Forces, who maintains
operational control of the Defense Forces. Subordinate to the commander of the
Defense Forces are the commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the
commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ).
The ZNA is authorized 40,000 members but endstrength estimates as of June 2008 indicated the ZNA had about 30,000 members serving. The ZNA's operational forces are based in Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, and Mutare. Operational forces include five infantry brigades, artillery brigade, mechanized brigade, field artillery regiment, engineer regiment, air defense regiment, commando regiment, and one airborne battalion. Today, the ZNA is beset by shortages of supplies, including food. It is mostly under-trained and its equipment is aged, not particularly reliable, and largely immobile.
The AFZ is authorized 5,000 members, but only 4,000 were on active duty as of June 2008. It is estimated that half of Zimbabwe's aircraft are mission capable.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police numbers 25,000. The force is organized by province, and is comprised of uniformed national police, the Criminal Investigation Department, and traffic police. It also includes specialized support units including the (paramilitary) Police Support Unit and riot police and a Police Internal Security and Intelligence unit. The police commissioner-general exercises overall command of the force.
The U.S. Congress terminated support for military cooperation programs in 2001. Presently, the U.S. has no military-to-military cooperation with Zimbabwe other than through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--James D. McGee
Deputy Chief of Mission--Katherine Dhanani
USAID Mission Director--Karen Freeman
Political/Economic Chief--Glenn Warren
Public Affairs Officer--Paul Engelstad
Defense Attaché--LTC Ryan McMullen
Offices of the U.S. Mission
U.S. Embassy (Chancery)
172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
Tel: 263-4-250-593
Fax: 263-4-796-488
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