US, EU differ with AU on lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe

Demonstrators during a rally to denounce US and EU economic sanctions against Zimbabwe at the National Stadium, in the capital Harare, last week. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Harare, which only changed presidents for the first time in 2017, has been under sanctions since 2001.
  • AU and SADC say the removal of sanctions will discourage the mass emigration of Zimbabweans to neighbouring countries.
  • A third of Zimbabwe’s population (5.7 million people) is considered extremely poor by the World Bank.
  • Inflation rates reached 230 per cent in July this year and food prices increased by 319 per cent, the bank reported.