On February 1, 2021 the UK handed four Zimbabwe security officials sanctions which prevent them from traveling to the UK and freeze any assets that are currently in UK banks. The leaders included Minister for State Security Owen Ncube, Central Intelligence Organisation chief, Isaac Moyo, Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner, General Godwin Matanga, and former commander of the presidential guard, Anselem Sanyatwe. The sanctions were placed in result of these leaders because of alleged human rights abuses. UK placed these sanctions in hope to send a message which would get them to stop killing innocent Zimbabweans. Spokesman Nick Mangwana reacted to the sanctions by saying that the Zimbabwe officials do not have any assets in the UK, nor do they have any interest in travelling there. The officials are accused of responsibility for the deaths of 17 Zimbabweans in January 2019. They also incited soldiers to open fire on an unarmed crowd.
These sanctions were necessary because these horrific leaders have incited many attacks on innocent Zimbabweans which resulted in numerous deaths. These officials have been made examples of by the UK government to not violate human rights. For the region it shows the interest the UK has in the region and it will hopefully prevent other officials to follow in the footsteps of those previous four. This article is important because it shows the power a country has to freeze your assets and prevent you from accessing them and getting into the country to get them. I feel like the UK government did a good job in punishing these officials, but they should face the International Criminal Court to receive a fair trial for their wrongdoings.
The killing of innocent people will raise flags for many of these hegemonic stability countries. The UK and the United States can be seen as some of the biggest powerhouses in the world currently. From a liberal spective the United kingdom took a step in order to prevent other power driven officials to cause more humanitarian problems. In the upcoming years, we will see more countries eyeing in on Africa due to their resources and the instability the region has.