United Kingdom–Zimbabwe relations

On 18 April 1980, Zimbabwe was formally granted independence from the United Kingdom. Robert Mugabe became the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. Mugabe kept several British advisors around him during the early part of his rule, including Lord Soames who he formed a friendship with. Throughout the 1980s Mugabe surprised many by maintaining a close relationship with the United Kingdom while scorning the Soviet Union. He allowed Britain to maintain military bases in the country. Throughout the 1980s Mugabe described himself as "an Anglophile" and was frequently seen to wear British-made Savile Row suits.[1] Mugabe also heavily promoted cricket in Zimbabwe, saying “Cricket civilizes people and creates good gentlemen,” he declared. “I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe. I want ours to be a nation of gentlemen.”[2] After independence Zimbabwe remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Mugabe also formed a "genuine friendship" and political alliance with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. When members of Mugabe's cabinet celebrated Margaret Thatcher's removal from office in 1990, Mugabe rebuked them, reportedly saying: "Who organised our independence? Let me tell you - if it hadn't been for Mrs Thatcher none of you would be here today. I'm sorry she's gone."[1][3]

In 1991 Zimbabwe hosted the 1991 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting where the commonwealth issued the Harare Declaration. Diana, Princess of Wales visited Mr Mugabe in Harare in 1993. Mugabe was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.[4] The England cricket team played Zimbabwe in Harare in 1996 in a match attended by Mugabe.

In 1997, the new British government led by Tony Blair withdrew British funding for land reform in Zimbabwe. The previous prime ministers of Margaret Thatcher and John Major had both supported helping Zimbabwe financially to redress colonial era imbalances in landownership, however the government of Tony Blair disagreed with this approach and withdrew the funding. Then, after the 2000 Zimbabwean parliamentary election was marred with extreme amounts of state sanctioned violence and political oppression, the government of Tony Blair openly criticized human rights abuses being committed by Mugabe's government.[5] After this Mugabe engaged in his controversial land-reform program, in which the predominantly white farm owners were forced off their lands along with their workers, who were typically of regional descent. This was often done violently and without compensation. In this first wave of farm invasions, a total of 110,000 square kilometres of land had been seized. Several million black farm workers were excluded from the redistribution, leaving them without employment. According to Human Rights Watch, by 2002 the War Veterans Association had "killed white farm owners in the course of occupying commercial farms" on at least seven occasions, in addition to "several tens of [black] farm workers".[6] This increased criticism from Tony Blair's government. In response Mugabe said "Blair, keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe!" at a summit in Johannesburg.[7] Mugabe also told a crowd at his 90th birthday "The British, we don't hate you, we only love our country better."[1] However, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2002, Zimbabwe was formally suspended from the Commonwealth. Later in 2003, Zimbabwe formally withdrew from the Commonwealth.

On 18 February 2002, the European Union announced a travel ban on Robert Mugabe, which prohibited him from entering the United Kingdom .[8]

Extreme state-sanctioned violence during the 2008 Zimbabwean general election only added to the gap between the British government and the government of Robert Mugabe.[9] British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the violence was "a new low" for Zimbabwe.[10]

Zimbabwe's new president Emmerson Mnangagwa began a process of attempting to reconcile with the UK. He welcomed politicians and business leaders from the UK to engage with Zimbabwe saying "Our quarrel with Britain is over" and that "we have opened our doors to old and new friends."[11] Mnangagwa visited Britain in November 2021 where he met face to face with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. President Mnangagwa wrote on twitter that evening that:"Thank you to PM @BorisJohnson and @antonioguterres for welcoming me to #COP26. As the first President of Zimbabwe to visit the United Kingdom in a quarter of a century, it is clear that re-engagement is working!"[12] Prime Minister Johnson wrote on twitter that evening that it was "Great meeting with ministers from across #ourCommonwealth this morning for talks with Minister Sibusiso Moyo on how Britain, the Commonwealth & the wider international community will do everything it can in supporting Zimbabwe on its path of reform."[13] The first British minister to visit Zimbabwe since the early 2000s was Rory Stewart who was "warmly welcomed" by the government of President Mnangagwa when he visited the country in late 2017.[14]