Mugabe's party 'not worried' by renewed EU sanctions

(HARARE) - President Robert Mugabe's ruling party brushed off the extension Tuesday of most EU sanctions on Zimbabwe, accusing their partner in a unity government of backing the measures.

"We are not worried by their extension. It's a continuation of the struggle, just like the liberation struggle. We are our own liberators. Why should we worry?" said Rugare Gumbo, spokesman for Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Gumbo accused the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC), the party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, of backing the sanctions against Mugabe and about 100 of his cohorts.

"We have always maintained that the sanctions were foisted by the MDC," Gumbo said.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a unity government one year ago, aiming to end political unrest targeting mainly MDC supporters and to curb an economic meltdown.

Last September the EU sent a delegation to Zimbabwe, and found that benchmarks for reforms have not been met.

Human Rights Watch had called for extending the sanctions, accusing ZANU-PF of continuing to abduct and kill MDC activists without punishment. Oppressive media laws remained unchanged, and little progress has been made in protecting human rights, the group said.