First EU observers leave Zimbabwe

The EU says the observers were not free to do their job

The first group of European Union election observers has now left Zimbabwe, a day after the EU imposed sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his ruling elite for refusing to let them do their job.

Of course we are upset at having to leave

Observer Jean-Francois Leloutre

Thirteen of the observers from Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium and Austria left on a flight from Johannesburg about 1300 GMT, Reuters news agency reported.

The rest are scheduled to leave on later flights.

French observer Jean-Francois Leloutre said they were saddened to go before they could complete their mission.

"Of course we are upset at having to leave," he told Reuters news agency.

"Our job is to observe, not to leave. It's like a driver who is not entitled to drive."

'Economic terrorism'

The sanctions, which include a travel ban on Mr Mugabe and 19 of his close associates, brought a furious reaction from the Zimbabwe Government.

Sanctions

Ban on travel to EU

Freeze on financial assets held in EU

Arms embargo

Information Minister Jonathan Moyo had earlier accused the EU of seeking to bring down the president who is standing for re-election in next month's poll.

"It is very clear that what we are now dealing with is organised economic terrorism whose aim is clear and is to unseat a legitimately elected government which has decided to defend its national independence and national sovereignty," Mr Moyo said.

"There is so much hypocrisy in this whole talk about the government subverting democracy - it's really about protecting the interests of the white minority, which in Zimbabwe is threatened by the needs of the majority."

Concern at violations

The crisis came to a head on Monday following Harare's expulsion of the head of the EU observer mission, Pierre Schori, at the weekend.

Mr Schori was sent back to Europe

Zimbabwean journalist Basildon Peta told the BBC that the observers would have made little difference in the election even if they had been allowed to remain.

"I don't see how the observers were going to operate," he said.

"Mr Schori has made it clear that a number of unacceptable conditions had been imposed on them."

Nonetheless EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, took the decision to impose sanctions, saying they were seriously concerned at political violence, serious violations of human rights and restrictions on the media.

This situation called "into question the prospects for a free and fair election, " the ministers said in a statement.

Opposition attacked

UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the sanctions were designed to hit the political elite, not the economy.

News of the sanctions brought Mr Mugabe's supporters onto the streets

But Mr Mugabe, who views European attempts to observe the election as neo-colonialist interference, condemned their actions.

"The EU should not continue to supervise us because we do not go to their countries and supervise them, " he said.

The BBC's Hilary Andersson says Mr Mugabe is likely to use his new international isolation to boost his own message to the electorate and to portray Zimbabwe's elections as part of a struggle for real African independence.

The sanctions have been welcomed by Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change, whose headquarters in the capital, Harare, were attacked by hundreds of Mr Mugabe's supporters on Monday.

Riot police arrested dozens of protesters who had been throwing stones and smashing windows, witnesses said.