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Sydney Kawadza Senior Features Writer
In international relations and political science, one prominent philosopher quoted on several occasions is Immanuel Kant (1724-1804).

According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the German philosopher is one of the most influential thinkers in the Western world.

Kant is famous for his contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics which have had a profound impact on almost every philosophical movement that followed him.

One of his works, “The Advocate of Peace”, contains a section where he argues on how the world can achieve eternal peace.

In “Eternal Peace”, Kant prescribes a raft of recommendations including a call stating: “No state shall interfere by force in the constitution and government of another state.”

Excerpts from that passage include the arguments on this position as Kant posits: “For what could justify it in taking such action? Could, forsooth, some offence which that state gives to the subjects of another state?

“An outside state, if it should render assistance to one of these, could not be charged with interfering in the constitution of another state, as that state would then be in a condition of anarchy.

“But as long as this inner strife was not decided, the interference of outside powers would be a trespass on the rights of an independent people struggling only with its own inner weakness.

“This interference would be an actual offence which would so far tend to render.”

Now the question is: Can the people of Zimbabwe feel that they will ever know eternal peace in the face of continued attacks by the successive United States administrations who continue slapping the country with sanctions?

Can the people of Sudan feel the same, when they have lived under sanctions for years?

The world is currently spellbound by US President Donald Trump’s antics while the administration he leads is busy contributing to the suffering of people in countries like Zimbabwe and Sudan.

The US Department of the Treasury runs the Office of Foreign Assets Control which has a rollercoaster programme targeting states, corporates and individuals who will never know peace as a targeted group.

The OFAC has the Specially Designated Nationals List which, as part of its enforcement efforts, publishes a list of individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries.

“It also lists individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programmes that are not country- specific.

“Collectively, such individuals and companies are called ‘Specially Designated Nationals’ or ‘SDNs’. Their assets are blocked and US persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them,” the US claims.

Zimbabwean nationals including President Mugabe and his family can testify to callous acts perpetrated against them through this office.

ZDERA (Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001) clearly seeks to interfere in the affairs of Zimbabwe and this is nothing short of open aggression against Zimbabwe’s sovereignty.

Kant says for the world to know eternal peace no state shall interfere by force in the constitution and government of another state.

He talks of force and some may be tempted to think that no force has been used against Zimbabwe because we have not seen the American GI Joes trooping across our borders.

But many have missed the effects of sanctions on Zimbabwe and how they have wreaked havoc on the country’s economy.

Last week, the US government published a final rule to adjust its civil monetary penalties for inflation as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

This rule adjusts CMPs within the jurisdiction of certain components of the department to the maximum amount required by the Act.

Not much has been read into this rule which came into effect on February 10, 2017, as the US turned the screws on any organisations or corporates that want to work with the Zimbabwean Government.

These organisations, individuals or organisations risk losing as much as US$400 000 in fines for working with the Zimbabwean Government.

And people still argue that US sanctions are targeted while we have problems that are directly associated with the sanctions.

Kant also asks what could justify any nation to take an aggressive stance against another.

“Could, forsooth, some offence which that state gives to the subjects of another state?”

Can we ever know peace when our economy is screaming?

For the Sudanese, US President Barack Obama lifted trade and financial sanctions on its government.

This stance, while not enough, according to the people of the Republic of Sudan, some sections of the Zimbabwean media cried foul.

The media argued that the move was controversial as it lifted parts of the trade embargo.

Sudan is incorrectly accused of a status of “state sponsor of terrorism” and the legacy of genocide in Darfur.

However, the Obama administration thought it would reward Sudan for its “positive actions over the past six months” including co-operating with the US in addressing conflicts and the threat of terrorism.

Sudanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Hamdan Wadi Dldoom Ebeidalla believes the US has not done enough to improve relations between the two states and positive engagement rather than negative should be the norm in sorting out the differences.

“The Sudan has never challenged the core norms of the international behaviour or the national interest of any sovereign state, however, it has been the victims of promiscuous intentions of the others, insistently intervening in its internal affairs.

“It is unfair and immoral to be considered rogue or renegade of the international community while you are willing to cooperate in a manner of justice, equity and equal opportunities,” he said.

The Unilateral Coercive Measures are policy instruments which have no legal bases whatsoever, the ambassador argues.

He believes the UCM are intended to compel policy change in another country by deliberately enforcing economic, commercial and financial restrictions and targeting individuals in positions of influence.

“UCM causes the degradation of human rights, they are widely condemned by many international organisations including the United Nations and Amnesty International.

“UCM deprives people the right to well-being including food, medical care, housing and necessary social services.

“This is happening at a time the international community had decided that food should not be used as a tool for political pressure,” he said.

He further argues that there is no justification to unilateral coercive measures.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and International Humanitarian Law are international instruments which adopt human rights and re-affirm their relevant universal standard – indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.

Accordingly, the subjects of the international law should not selectively observe these high valued principles.

The ambassador expressed regrets over the notion that former president Obama’s move, though inadequate, was controversial.

“Alas, what mentality that describes a decision that eases a distress on the ordinary people as a controversial move?”

Countries suffering under UCMs, including Zimbabwe, should be wary of such policy tools against the vulnerable and never take them for granted.

“There are salient issues we should not differ on when they affect all the strata of the population, especially the vulnerable,” the ambassador said.

His rallying call is for the African Union to continue its efforts until the last country is removed from the sanctions list while extending the necessary empathy and support to people affected by illegal sanctions.

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