Analysis Of The US Economic Sanctions On Zimbabwe:2001-2021

The research seeks to make a critical analysis of the US sanctions on Zimbabwe that were imposed in 2001.There has been controversy and disagreements on the actual objectives of the sanctions.The US government has noted that the main objective of the economic sanctions is to compel the government of Zimbabwe and the military to respect human rights and democracy.However,the government of Zimbabwe argues that the sanctions are aimed at neo-colonialism and imperialism as the US seeks to maintain its grip on being the world hegemony.The sanctions have been in place for the past two decades and they continue to be renewed on an annual basis which shows that up to know they have not achieved their intended objectives.As such,the study sought to analyze the factors which have prevented the sanctions from achieving their objectives.The research is qualitative in nature and the researcher used primary and secondary sources in gathering data.The researcher used interviews and a wide range of published literature which mainly include scholarly scripts,articles by journalists,historical accounts and theses,journal articles on international relations,foreign policy analysis,domestic politics,governmental studies and historical analyses.A case study of the UN Security Council sanctions on South Africa,which have been widely accepted as being successful,was used to make a comparative analysis of the implementation and impact of multilateral sanctions versus unilateral sanctions imposed by the US.This case helps to explain how and why the sanctions on Zimbabwe have largely been ineffective.In terms of data interpretation and analysis the researcher employed thematic analysis.The research found out that the sanctions have not achieved their objective due to counter strategies adopted by the government of Zimbabwe.These include Fast Track Land Reform Program,Indigenization and Empowerment Program,Government of National Unity,Sino-Zimbabwe relations.The sanctions have also been ineffective due to international factors like globalization,the support that Zimbabwe has been getting from SADC,African Union and the fact that the sanctions are not multilateral.The research also concluded that China has also played a critical role in neutralizing the impact of sanctions by providing loan development finance,aid and standing for Zimbabwe in the UN Security Council.