The United States says it is to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and his closest aides. The move comes a day after the European Union took similar measures to protest conditions for upcoming elections.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said they were looking at travel and financial sanctions to target individuals but there would be no formal announcement today.
It was not immediately clear when the sanctions would be imposed but Mr Boucher said they required the approval of President George W Bush, currently on a tour of Asia. A senior State Department official said he expected a decision in the next day or two.
Meanwhile, the first of 26 EU election observers were preparing to leave Zimbabwe today. The EU imposed sanctions against President Robert Mugabe yesterday.
The sanctions followed a decision by Zimbabwe to expel EU senior election observer, Pierre Schori. The measures ban President Mugabe and 19 of his close associates from travelling to EU countries.
The measures also put a freeze on their assets within the EU. Zimbabwe has reacted defiantly to the action, saying that it amounted to "economic terrorism".
