July 25 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Friday signed an order expanding U.S. sanctions against the government of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.
Below are details of sanctions and restrictions in place against Zimbabwe.
* VISA BANS AND ASSET FREEZES:
-- The United States first imposed sanctions in March 2003 and later widened them to apply to about 250 people accused of undermining democracy. The U.S. sanctions also bar Americans from engaging in any transactions or dealings with them. -- On Friday the Treasury Department said it would seek to freeze assets of 17 Zimbabwean enterprises.
-- The European Union imposed a visa ban on President Robert Mugabe and 19 top officials in 2002 because of Zimbabwe's treatment of observers sent to monitor presidential elections.
-- The number was later expanded to more than 100 of Mugabe's closest aides and family, and on July 22 a further 37 people and four companies were added to the list.
-- The European Union has also frozen the overseas assets of the Zimbabweans who are subject to its visa ban.
* ARMS EMBARGOES:
-- The United States has a ban on transfers of defence items and services, and a suspension of non-humanitarian government-to-government assistance.
-- The European Union has an embargo on the sale and supply of arms and technical advice and of equipment which could be used for internal repression in Zimbabwe.
The embargo also prohibits technical and financial assistance related to military activities.
-- A shipment of Chinese arms bound for Zimbabwe was recalled in April after port workers in the region refused to unload it and Western countries urged a stop to arms supplies.
* DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION:
-- The Commonwealth group of mainly former British colonies suspended Zimbabwe in early 2002 on the grounds that Mugabe had rigged his re-election and persecuted his opponents.
Zimbabwe formally withdrew from the 54-nation group in 2003 after the suspension was extended indefinitely.
-- The International Monetary Fund suspended technical assistance to Zimbabwe in 2002 over its failure to clear arrears and address its dire economic and social crisis.
It has averted expulsion by making small payments towards clearing arrears.
-- Britain's Queen Elizabeth has stripped Mugabe of an honorary knighthood awarded in 1994.
* SPORT:
-- A 2007 cricket tour of Zimbabwe by Australia was cancelled on the orders of Australia's government.
-- Cricket South Africa, which had been one of Zimbabwe's strongest backers, suspended domestic agreements with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union on June 23.
-- Two days later, the England and Wales Cricket Board cancelled Zimbabwe's 2009 tour of England under instructions from the British government. The ECB said it had suspended all bilateral arrangements with Zimbabwe Cricket.
-- The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on July 4 that Zimbabwe had agreed to skip the 2009 World Twenty20 in England to end a deadlock over demands that the African nation be suspended. Zimbabwe is expected to remain one of the ICC's 10 full members, a status given to test-playing nations. Sources: Reuters/EU//www.state.gov