EU extends Zimbabwe arms embargo by one year in sanctions review

The European Union extended an arms embargo on Zimbabwe by a year — until February 2027 — as part of an annual review of sanctions it imposed against the southern African nation. The EU has had restrictive measures in place against Zimbabwe since February 2002, when the European Council, made up of the bloc’s member states, expressed grave concern over the situation in the country, particularly serious human rights violations under then-President Robert Mugabe’s government. Mugabe resigned after the military seized control in 2017 and died two years later.

“The EU remains constructively engaged with Zimbabwe,” the council said in a statement announcing the decision to extend the embargo, adding that it “looks forward to deepening the bilateral relations across a broad range of areas of mutual interest, including on trade and investment.” The council said it has lifted provisions in the sanctions regime related to asset freezes and travel bans, as no individuals or entities are currently subject to those measures. Zimbabwe Defence Industries, the last remaining entity under restrictive measures, was delisted a year ago. The US has taken a tougher stance on the country, putting President Emmerson Mnangagwa on its so-called Global Magnitsky sanctions list in 2024 for alleged “gross abuses” after his disputed election victory a year earlier.