U.S. says Zimbabwe harassing, deporting officials

HARARE, Zimbabwe — The United States State Department said Friday that Zimbabwean authorities detained officials of the U.S. development agency, USAID, before deporting them, as relations between the historical foes deteriorate further.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Zimbabwean officials “abruptly detained and deported USAID officials and contractors, who were conducting an assessment of the development and governance context in Zimbabwe.”

Last week, the U.S sanctioned Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, its first lady and other officials for their alleged involvement in corruption and human rights abuses.

The State Department said the incident took place last month, before the latest round of sanctions was announced, although it was only revealed now.

The Zimbabwean government and its ruling Zanu-pf party have frequently accused the U.S of interfering in the country’s internal political affairs to effect regime change after Mugabe led an often violent land reform program that drove out white farmers who owned most of the fertile agricultural land to make way for thousands of landless Back Zimbabweans.

Miller said members of the assessment team “were subject to aggressive handling, prolonged interrogation and intimidation, unsafe and forced nighttime transportation, overnight detention and confinement, and forced removal from the country.”

In a separate statement, USAID administrator Samantha Power accused the Zimbabwean authorities of “seizure of and intrusion into personal electronic equipment” of the officials and some contractors.

Zimbabwean foreign affairs authorities as well as U.S embassy officials did not respond to requests for comment.