Zimbabwe’s Re- engagement Policy And It’s Stake In The EU-ACP Post Cotonou Agreement
4 January 2021
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By Taurai Mutoti- The last two months of 2020 have seen two quiet but significant events which are of paramount importance to Zimbabwe’s economic and political aspirations. The first one being the launching of the National Development Strategy 1 by the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa on 6th November 2020, laying a 5 year plan for Zimbabwe.

And secondly, on 03 December 2020, when negotiations between the European Union (EU) and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries  where concluded coming up with a successor treaty to the Cotonou Agreement.

On the part of the NDS1, the country spelt out it’s decision to take seriously the engagement and re-engagement drive especially focused on the European Union and other Western countries that imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. On the other hand, it is important to note that sanctions on Zimbabwe from the EU were imposed in 2002 after the EU expressed concern that Zimbabwe was allegedly violating aspects of article 96 of the Cotonou agreement related to political freedom and other governance issues countries were expected to observe.

This came after Zimbabwe, during the run up to the 2002 Presidential Elections, had expressed concern over “political utterances” and “political arrogance” of the EU Head of Election Observer Mission, Pierre Schorio, whom it later expelled. The EU Council later in the same month adopted two Common Positions on Zimbabwe 2002/145/CFSP and EC/148/2002 which Zimbabwe takes as forms of sanctions.

The Cotonou agreement between between the European Union’s 27 member States and 75 ACP countries was signed in 2001 and covers trade and governance relations between the 4 continents, as well as some form of peer reviewing on issues related to human rights and democracy.

Since the Cotonou agreement expired in March 2020, the conclusion of negotiations on the successor agreement comes at a time Zimbabwe under the New Dispensation and the NDS1 has committed itself to engage and re-engage with all countries.

This is predicated on the Vision 2030 that seeks to maximize the benefits of globalization, international trade and cooperation to achieve sustained economic growth, poverty reduction and achieving a modern middle-income economy.

Zimbabwe is also ostensibly interested in the new deal between EU and ACP countries with hope that it put behind memories of the Article 96 which brought about the current sanctions measures.

The new agreement, which is set to be signed and launched in December 2021 has six (6) broad areas namely; democracy and governance, human rights, security, Human and Social Development, environmental sustainability and climate change, sustainable growth, migration and mobility. The aims of the post Cotonou Agreement seem to be in tandem with Zimbabwe’s aspirations as expressed in the NDS1.

However, it is important to note that during the subsistence of the Cotonou Agreement, African countries as well as others in the Caribbean and the Pacific continued to pinpoint at unequal relations between the EU and other ACP members. The EU was accused of continuing to take a colonial and big brother stance in matters relating to trade, development and governance.

It is Zimbabwe’s hope that under the NDS1 it will leverage engagement and reengagement, reciprocal and beneficial cooperation with other countries, the EU-ACP included, domestic political and economic reforms to achieve economic stability and a sustained 5% GDP growth rate per annum.

With such growth rates, it envisions the possibility to follow the development path of the Asian tigers such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore who developed on the back of home driven trade liberalisation, privatisation, industrialisation, robust and liberal foreign exchange markets among others. But for now, Zimbabwe needs stability to sustain growth.

What it remains to be seen is how the post-Cotonou Agreement will be able to serve Zimbabwe and Africa’s interests at a time China has potrayed itself as a more responsive partner to Africa’s needs with less conditionalities.

It also comes at a time there is a greater effort in Africa for increased intra-African trade and economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) agreement set to be operational in January 2021.

It is also Zimbabwe’s hope that the post-Cotonou agreement will not be used to continue isolating Zimbabwe through its provisions but the agreement could open new avenues for trade relations which Zimbabwe is keen to re-establish and expand.

Taurai Mutoti, is an MSc in International Trade and Diplomacy Student at the University of Zimbabwe. He can be contacted at [email protected]