Dar es Salaam, Oct. 12 -- When governments impose economic sanctions, they are often presented as a weapon aimed at political leaders, state institutions or companies. But in countries such as Zimbabwe, Cuba and Venezuela, the consequences have frequently reached far beyond government offices - affecting workers, farmers, patients, businesses and ordinary families.

For African countries, this raises a fundamental question: When economic pressure is imposed on a government, who actually pays the price?

Zimbabwe provides one of the clearest examples. United Nations human-rights reporting has documented how unilateral sanctions and related financial restrictions contributed to difficulties in accessing credit, financing agriculture and mai...