Zimbabwe: Confusion Remains Over Zim Diamond Trade Status

SW Radio Africa (London)

Alex Bell

24 June 2011

There is still confusion over Zimbabwe’s diamond trade status, amid reports that an ongoing stalemate within the trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process (KP), has not prevented the lifting of Zimbabwe’s trade ban.

KP members met in the DRC this week, where Zimbabwe was top of the agenda. The meeting reportedly ended Thursday with no consensus from KP members on Zimbabwe’s future, with mainly western nations still concerned about conditions at the Chiadzwa diamond fields.

But the DRC’s Mathieu Yamba, the current chairperson of the watchdog group, late on Thursday said sales would be allowed from two mines at the Chiadzwa alluvial fields, where gross human rights abuses have been reported since 2009. He said a team of two monitors must still visit the mines to sign off on the sale.

Yamba earlier this year made a shock unilateral decision to allow Zimbabwe to resume trading, a move that has been strongly resisted by other KP members. KP decisions are meant to be made and implemented only after consensus among members of the monitoring body. But it’s understood that Yamba’s latest announcement has also been done without consensus.

Civil society groups in the KP walked out of the negotiations with Zimbabwe on Thursday, saying human rights abuses have not been addressed.

“We represent communities that have suffered from diamond-fuelled violence, and communities that hope to benefit from diamond wealth,” said Aminata Kelly-Lamin from the Network Movement for Justice and Development in Sierra Leone.

“We can no longer go back to these people, look them in the eye and tell them that the scheme is working to protect their interests, when it is not,” she added.

In a joint statement the organisations said the KP’s dealings with Zimbabwe fell short of what is needed to protect civilians living and working in Chiadzwa.

“(Chiadzwa) has been the scene of very serious human rights violations over the past three years. Yet the deal tabled did not credibly address the question of how to protect local NGOs monitoring and reporting to the KP on conditions in the area,” said Alfred Brownell from Green Advocates, Liberia.

“Any new agreement that the KP signs up to regarding Marange diamonds must address directly key issues such as the involvement of soldiers in diamond mining, rampant smuggling and beatings by security forces,” he said.

Political commentator Clifford Mashiri told SW Radio Africa on Friday that the civil society position is a sign that the KP has lost all credibility.

“Unfortunately we see a situation where KP members are giving in to ZANU PF. Even the chairman (of the KP) is said to be a friend and ally of Robert Mugabe’s,” Mashiri said.

Meanwhile, US based diamond trading network Rapaport has issued a trade alert to its members, warning that Chiadzwa diamonds will be on the market. The alert reads: “The Rapaport Group urges responsible buyers to require supplier guarantees that they are not buying (Chiadzwa) goods.”

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