.. plenary to make Marange rulingHuman Right Watch (HRW) led calls for Zimbabwes suspension from the world diamond market writing to three influential KP member countries urging them to back suspension of Zimbabwe from the world diamond market because that was the only way to ensure Harare acted to end rights abuses at the controversial Marange diamond field.
The Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition (KPCSC) weighed in with demands for resolute action against what it called the overwhelming evidence of Zimbabwes failure to comply with the minimum requirements of the rough diamond certification scheme.
The KPCSC, whose members include Global Witness, Partnership Africa Canada and the Liberian based Green Advocates, said failure to act against Zimbabwe would compromise the KPs credibility and undermine chances any hope of eradicating the trade in conflict diamonds.
What is going on in Zimbabwe is against both the spirit and the law of the Kimberley Process. Member governments must agree to suspend Zimbabwe from importing and exporting rough diamonds, said Annie Dunnebacke from Global Witness.
Decision by consensus
In letters to the governments of South Africa, Israel and Belgium, Human Rights Watch (HRW) scoffed at recommendations by KP Review Mission (KPRM) that visited Zimbabwe last June for Harare to volunteer to suspend itself in exchange for technical assistance to bring its diamond industry in line with KP standards.
The HRW, which reported last June that Zimbabwe army soldiers killed 200 people during a controversial operation to remove illegal miners from Marange, said Harare had reneged on previous promises to withdraw the army from the diamond field in the east of the country.
Only full suspension could force the Zimbabwe authorities to act this time round, the group said.
Recommendations for Zimbabwe to withdraw from Kimberley voluntarily or for Kimberley to provide technical and other assistance without full suspension will not be effective, Georgette Gagnon, HRWs Africa director said in statement last Thursday.
Zimbabwe has already reneged on a commitment to withdraw the army from Marange. Clearly it will only be moved to make changes under the full force of suspension, he added.
The rights group said further research carried this October showed that military presence had increased and soldiers were still using civilian syndicates, including schoolchildren to illegally mine diamonds at Marange that is also known as Chiadzwa.
Man shot over diamond
On September 17, a soldier shot and killed a 19-year-old member of one syndicate. The soldier stated, in the presence of witnesses, that he had shot the man for hiding a raw diamond instead of handing it over to the soldier, said Gagnon.
A final report compiled by the KPRM that visited Zimbabwe in at the end of June has suggested that Zimbabwe should be banned from the market only if it refused a recommendation to voluntary stop trading until it has complied with KP requirements.
In the letters to South Africa, Israel and Belgium, HRW said allowing Zimbabwe to continue trading would worsen the rights situation at Marange as well as promote the flow of blood diamonds onto the world market.
The HRW wrote to South Africa because it is one of the main destinations of Marange diamonds and could find its otherwise excellent reputation undermined if it continues to be a destination for diamonds from Marange.
Belgium was targeted because of its huge diamond sorting and polishing industry that is also said to have been a notable destination for raw Marange diamonds.
The HRW wrote to Israel as next chair of the Kimberley Process, taking over from Namibia in November. Israel will face scrutiny for its position on Zimbabwes suspension at the November meeting.
Harrowing tales
Rights groups say soldiers and police send to flush out illegal miners from Marange used excessive and brutal force to take control of the diamond field and that the security forces later began forcing villagers to illegally mine the diamonds for sale on the black market for precious minerals.
It is a position supported by the KP review mission that said it found evidence of evidence of gross human rights violations and other illegal activities allegedly committed by security forces at Marange.
The review team that was led by Liberian deputy planning and development minister Kpandel Fayia said in its report that illegal panners and community leaders they interviewed gave harrowing tales of abuse by the soldiers, including rape.
Mines Minister Obert Mpofu was not available for comment on the matter.
Post published in: Economy