Britain will not export to Zimbabwe any equipment that will be used for repression

Britain will not export to Zimbabwe any equipment that might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression, Minister of State, Department of International Trade, Penny Mordaunt said yesterday.

She was responding to a question on what her department was doing about trade in response to recent reports about human rights abuses by Zimbabwe security forces.

Mordaunt said the UK was concerned about the human rights abuses and was currently reviewing its overseas business risk guidance for Zimbabwe.

“All export licence applications are rigorously reviewed. We will not license the export of equipment where there is a clear risk that it might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression,” she said.

Q &A:

Stephen Morgan Shadow Minister (Defence) (Armed Forces and Defence Procurement), Shadow Minister (Education) (Schools): To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of recent trends in human rights abuses by Zimbabwean security forces; and what steps her Department plans to take in respect of trade in response to those reports.

Penny Mordaunt The Minister of State, Department for International Trade: The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, including a lack of accountability for violations.

The Overseas Business Risk guidance for Zimbabwe is currently under review.

All export licence applications are rigorously reviewed. We will not license the export of equipment where there is a clear risk that it might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.

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