EU ministers unlikely to ease sanctions against Zimbabwe

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union is unlikely to ease sanctions against Zimbabwe any time soon, officials said on Tuesday, despite the imminent start of power-sharing talks between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition. EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels were considering plans to tighten sanctions against Mugabe, notably a travel ban, in protest against his victory in last month's presidential runoff in which he ran unopposed because of intimidation of opposition parties and violence against their supporters. Diplomats and officials said 34 more people, including military chiefs and a journalist from a pro-Mugabe newspaper were subjects of an expanded travel ban and assets freeze blacklist likely to be approved. The new sanctions blacklist includes three companies that back Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, including a... [read full story]