Botswana Pleads For Zimbabwe Over Sanctions

Botswana Pleads For Zimbabwe Over Sanctions

Botswana President, Ian Khama has called for a lifting of sanctions to help prod Zimbabwe to greater openness.

Khama, one of Africa 's most outspoken leaders critical of President Robert Mugabe appealed to those countries, which have placed sanctions to remove them in order to give motivation.

Khama had in 2009 blamed political paralysis in Zimbabwe on Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, saying new elections were the only way to break the stalemate threatening Zimbabwe 's power-sharing agreement.

The United States and EU said because human rights violations continue in Zimbabwe , the sanctions will remain in place.

Both had imposed sanctions on state firms in Zimbabwe and travel restrictions on Mugabe and his associates, after a violent re-election campaign and commercial farm seizures.

REUTERS/Yinka