Senegalese President Macky Sall on Tuesday called for a lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe in his address to the 77th UN General Assembly in New York, reported The BBC.
Sall, who is also the current chairman of the African Union, said the measures against Zimbabwe were aggravating the suffering of the people.
The United States and the European Union (EU) continue to maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe, citing a lack of progress in democratic and human rights reforms as well as restrictions on press freedoms.
The sanctions have been imposed on both specific individuals and companies including Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe’s economy has faced deep economic crises over the past few years with periods of hyperinflation. However, there is little evidence to suggest that the sanctions are responsible for the economic crises.
President Sall was the first African leader to address the General Assembly. He urged the Security Council to address conflicts in Africa in the same way it addressed other conflicts. He called for reforms in the council that would make it more inclusive and a permanent seat for Africa in the UN Council.
The Senegalese president also called for a seat for Africa in the G20 group, which includes leaders of the world’s 20 major economies.
He urged the international community not to drag Africa into another cold war, but rather seek the continent for mutually beneficial partnerships.
“I have come to say that Africa has suffered enough of the burden of history; that it does not want to be the breeding ground of a new cold war, but rather a pole of stability and opportunity open to all its partners, on a mutually beneficial basis,” the Senegalese president said.
More African leaders are expected to address the UN general assembly on Wednesday on the second day of the UN General Assembly.
