Southern African bloc calls for lifting of Western sanctions on Zimbabwe

HARARE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Saturday reiterated its call for the unconditional lifting of Western sanctions on Zimbabwe.

The economic sanctions on Zimbabwe continue to undermine SADC's pursuit of regional economic integration by limiting Zimbabwe's full participation in trade, investment and shared economic growth in the sub-region, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi said in a statement.

"On this Anti-Sanctions Day, we reaffirm SADC's solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and reiterate our enduring call for the immediate lifting of these sanctions," Magosi said.

"We urge those that have imposed these sanctions to revisit their stance and engage in constructive dialogue within the context of our modern multilateral world," he said.

Zimbabwe has enormous potential and has demonstrated resilience over time, he said, noting that the lifting of the sanctions will unlock the country's full potential and pave the way for its meaningful contribution to SADC and Africa's prosperity.

Magosi urged SADC member states to continue standing by Zimbabwe and amplify the call for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions.

In 2019, SADC declared Oct. 25 as Anti-Sanctions Day for the regional bloc to collectively call for the unconditional lifting of the prolonged sanctions on Zimbabwe.

SADC is a 16-member southern African regional bloc, whose members include Angola, Botswana, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Enditem