Zimbabwe to Regulate Nonprofit Groups

Zimbabwe now requires nonprofit groups to apply for a state license before they can operate, a law that some observers believe will be used to shut down organizations that oppose the regime of President Robert Mugabe, reports the Associated Press.

Mr. Mugabe has accused Western-supported humanitarian groups of meddling in politics and of working with his opponents. The country has been involved in violent conflict and economic upset for several years. Nonprofit groups provide food, legal aid, medicine, and counseling to residents of Zimbabwe, and sometimes directly serve activists who oppose Mr. Mugabe.

United Nations agencies will not be affected by the law, the wire service reports.

Russia’s government, under President Vladimir Putin, has also complained of Western influence on local politics and recently imposed similar restrictions on nonprofit organizations, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports.

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