The United States has urged Zimbabwe’s government to implement major political and economic reforms during crucial debt restructuring talks in Harare. US Ambassador Pamela Tremont delivered the message on Monday as the southern African nation began negotiations to resolve its $21 billion debt crisis.

“We’re here today as part of our commitment to the Zimbabwe people that is long-standing and consistent,” Tremont told reporters in Harare. “We need public officials to quit using their public offices for private gain. We need the judiciary to be able to deliver justice independently of political considerations.”

Her comments came as African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina called for urgent resolution of Zimbabwe’s debt burden. Adesina said the situation had caused “untold damage” to Zimbabwe’s economy and prolonged suffering for its people.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa appealed for international support, saying access to external financing was “key for long-term funding of our projects and programs.”

The talks represent a critical moment for Zimbabwe’s economy, which has struggled since controversial land reforms in the early 2000s triggered an economic crisis and international isolation.

While government officials point to targeted sanctions as the main barrier to credit access, international creditors maintain that governance reforms are essential for financial restoration.

“We’re quite clear – we need public officials to quit using their public offices for private gain,” said Tremont, adding that judicial independence and rights to assembly must be protected.

The African Development Bank has offered to help broker new financing arrangements with major lenders including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.