For over two decades now, Canada and Zimbabwe have had somewhat frosty diplomatic relations and two-way trade is minimal at best. However, in March, the Canadian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Adler Aristilde, wowed locals in a crowd-sourced Twitter (X) chefs contest – easing bilateral tensions one could say. Canada established diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe in 1980 following the latter’s independence.
However, relations faltered in 2001 when Zimbabwe’s government under the late Robert Mugabe grabbed private farmland owned by white Zimbabweans, abandoning the rule of law and committing gross acts of violence while doing so. Things came to a head when the former Canada ambassador by veteran militiamen loyal to Zimbabwe’s government in May 2001. In 2008, Canada decided to implement the Special Economic Measures Act (Zimbabwe) Regulations that prohibited arms trading with Zimbabwe and imposed sanctions against listed Zimbabweans and entities.
The Special Economic Measures – as Ottawa calls its sanctions – were amended in and delisted 100 people “who were either deceased, were deemed to no longer be involved in human rights violations and political violence, or are widowed, divorced or separated from listed individuals”. However, as the Canadian government notes, “the measures will remain in place until there are positive shifts in Zimbabwean policy that result in improvements in human rights, democracy, freedom, and the rule of law”. While diplomatic relations r.
