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DCL
Despite a recent Kimberley Process meeting to determine its policy on Zimbabwe diamonds and despite reports that smuggling, military control, and human rights abuses in the diamond fields continue, diamonds from the troubled Marange fields in Zimbabwe could still be accepted by the Kimberley Process and allowed into international trade.
A number of governments are in favor of Zimbabwe resuming international trade—seemingly ignoring the arrest, just before the Kimberley meeting, of human rights activist Farai Maguwu for threatening Zimbabwe's economic interests by reporting on abuses at diamond mines. He has just been released, after a month of detention, but his research into these abuses continues to be ignored at best, and more likely threatened, by the government.
Meanwhile, the meeting proceeded with no conclusive result, but if the scheme lifts the ban on Zimbabwe's diamonds, the integrity of the entire Kimberley Process will be brought under more fire than it already is, and the world market will once again be flooded with conflict diamonds.
Global Witness, which recently published a report on the resurgence of blood diamonds in Zimbabwe through state-sponsored violence and the increasing use of the questionable join-venture company, summarizes the situation:
Instead of suspending Zimbabwe for flagrant breaches of its code, members of the Kimberley Process have settled on a weak compromise agreement, which Zimbabwean authorities have repeatedly breached. Indeed, Minister [of Mines] Mpofu was recently quoted in the press as saying, "we are going to benefit from our diamonds whether with the KP or not".
And with 4.5 million carats of diamonds stocked up and waiting for the Kimberley decision, the country stands to benefit. More from Global Witness about Mpofu's role. He:
has been at the forefront of efforts to block oversight of the joint venture companies, Canadile Miners and Mdaba Diamonds. He has imposed his allies as board members, and sidelined the state mining company, ZMDC...
"The investment deals have been done with scant regard for legal process against a background of violence and intimidation, and are dangerously lacking in transparency. This leaves the door wide open for state looting and corruption, and raises the very real possibility of internationally certified diamonds financing renewed political violence in Zimbabwe," said [Elly Harrowell, Global Witness campaigner].
