[Africa News]
December 12th Movement: Representative “Clarke has a responsibility to represent the interests of the Black community, locally, nationally and internationally. That is why we want to meet with the Congresswoman to discuss lifting the sanctions on Zimbabwe.”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Last week, members of the December 12th Movement went to the offices of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke to question her regarding her support of sanctions against the Government of Zimbabwe. The following is a statement released by the December 12th Movement on this matter.
We are here today outside the office of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke simply to ask why she will not meet with us?
For nearly a year we have written, called, faxed, emailed and hand-delivered material to Congresswoman Clarke requesting a meeting concerning her continued support for the United States’ sanctions on Zimbabwe.
In 2001, the U.S. imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe for having had the audacity to take back the land stolen by white settler colonizers and give it to the indigenous people of the country. To this day no other African country has taken this courageous act of self-determination.
The sanctions have killed and injured Zimbabweans, while crippling its economy. The goal of the sanctions is to bring about regime change, to replace the independent leadership of the ZANU-PF Party and its leader, currently President E.D. Mnangagwa, with hand-chosen puppets who will return the land to enraged and entitled white farmers.
The sanctions are a flagrant violation of international law – particularly interference in the affairs of a sovereign nation.
As a Black elected official who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus [CBC], Rep. Clarke has a responsibility to represent the interests of the Black community, locally, nationally and internationally. That is why we want to meet with the Congresswoman to discuss lifting the sanctions on Zimbabwe. Since last August, despite using all the proper protocols of outreach to the Congresswoman, we have received a runaround and no meeting.
Despite the brushoffs, we still want to meet with Congresswoman Clarke to find out why she supports Trump’s sanctions on Zimbabwe and to attempt to persuade her to change her position on this burning issue.
