The US has extended sanctions against Zimbabwe's top leaders citing their actions to "undermine democratic processes or institutions".
US President Donald Trump wrote to Congress on Wednesday saying the restrictions will not be removed until Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration implements political reforms.
He accused the government of persecuting critics and economic mismanagement in the past year.
Mr Trump had written: "These actions and policies by certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States."
He also accused security forces of "extrajudicial killings, rapes and alleged abductions of dissidents".
Zimbabwe's government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said in a statement that the government "strongly objects" to the accusation of extrajudicial killings and called the US decision to extend the sanctions "baffling".
The financial and travel restrictions currently apply to 85 individuals, including President Mnangagwa. They target both specific individuals and companies.
Mr Mnangagwa led nationwide demonstrations in October 2019 against US and EU sanctions. He blamed them for crippling development in the country.
A group of 16 African countries - the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) - also called on the US and EU to "immediately lift" sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
Source: BBC
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The sanction for the behaviour of our political leadership style. Our politicians are stealing from us too much.
Wake Up my people and remove the name Africa as this was given to us by the Romans. Meaning The ***barred word*** or The Enemy Zone. As branded by the whites are the deceit to make us suffer till thy kingdom come. Do you remember the same trick and deceit the reason Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown? Do you remember same Liberia went into Civil War. Same deceit Ivory Coast got shattered? Same deceit Libya is destroyed and Ghadaffi killed and Robert Mugabe was forced to resign and now dead? So the sanctions we made to believe was because of Mugabe is not true. Wow. Now Mugabe is gone and still extended sanctions. Why. Wake my people. Paakow, Cape Coast