The European Union (EU) has announced the suspension of financial support to Zimbabwe’s electoral authority due to concerns arising from the contentious August elections.
The EU had allocated US dollars 4.7 million (Ksh693 million) to a project aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) in 2022. The project, overseen by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and originally set to conclude in December 2024, has already utilized a portion of the EU’s contribution.
The EU disclosed its decision to discontinue its involvement in the project, citing scrutiny resulting from concerns expressed by various international election observers regarding the independence and transparency of ZEC during the 2023 elections.
The EU highlighted that this budget cut aims to promote responsible management of EU development funds. The process of suspending aid has already commenced, with notifications sent to both ZEC and Zimbabwe’s finance ministry regarding this move.
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Despite the suspension of financial assistance, the EU emphasized its commitment to monitoring developments in Zimbabwe and the potential for resuming assistance in the future.
Furthermore, the EU has also revealed the suspension of all food aid funds to Somalia due to concerns of misappropriation by certain authority figures. This suspension follows the European Commission’s temporary cessation of financing for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Somalia, a decision triggered by United Nations findings.
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The spokeswoman for the European Commission Balazs Ujvari, confirmed this temporary suspension, clarifying that ongoing operations could continue using the initial funding received, in accordance with standard procedures.
