The United States government says it is closely monitoring the situation in Zimbabwe with a view to influencing the elections expected to be held this year.

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson made the remarks last week in an address to the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington on the implication of current events in Africa on Washington's policy towards Africa in 2011.

He made the remarks as the US Africa Command (Africom), Washington's military wing in Africa, also singled out Zimbabwe and Madagascar for scrutiny.

Washington becomes the second major western nation to declare its interest in the forthcoming elections after Britain pledged to assist Sadc come up with the election roadmap for Zimbabwe.

The US and Britain's pronouncements follow the Sadc Troika summit in Livingstone, Zambia which resolved to come up with a roadmap on the elections in Zimbabwe.

Last week British Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) Lord David Howell told the House of Lords that London stood ready to fund the roadmap and was working with Sadc in that regard.

In his address, Mr Carson mentioned Zimbabwe among other African countries which include Nigeria, Madagascar, Cote d'Ivoire and Southern Sudan, the US was keeping an eagle eye on.

He said the US would not hesitate to slap sanctions on those African countries that were a threat to its interests and foreign policy.

"Democracy is important, and we are prepared to take appropriate measures against those individuals who violate basic democratic norms, as we have in places such as Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar," he said.

"I wish that I could include Zimbabwe and Madagascar on this list of countries that made progress this last year, but clearly the situation in both remains paralysed as their hard-nosed leaders continue to try to manipulate the democratic process in their favour."

By VOA