Diamond group warned against setting dangerous precedent in Zim

Leading diamond rights activist Farai Maguwu told SW Radio Africa that the groups refusal to take tough action against Zimbabwe, and its non-compliance with international trade standards, was a major concern. The KP is still to decide on Zimbabwes future after member states failed to reach consensus on whether or not to allow full exports from the country to resume. KP members are still negotiating an agreement with the Zimbabwean authorities, which Maguwu warned would be filled with concessions to the government.

What we have seen in the Zimbabwe case is bullying. The fact that the KP continues to tolerate this bullying and still goes to lengths to accommodate Zimbabwe, well its a danger to the credibility of the KP and what it stands for, Maguwu said.

The activist, who heads the Mutare based Centre for Research and Development (CRD) added: If they dont stand up against Zimbabwe then they (the KP) are setting a very dangerous precedent that it cannot deal with serious non-compliance.

The CRD head also said that the KP in its current form is outdated, explaining that its original mandate is limiting what action it can take now. Maguwu said that the narrow definition of a blood diamond, as one that supports rebel movements, needs to be changed.

We now have a situation where legitimate governments are using diamonds to hold onto power, Maguwu said. Diamonds are being used as instruments of repression and the KP needs to change to deal with this. The KP has faced serious criticism for what observers have called a toothless approach to Zimbabwes diamond situation. Rights groups like Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada have both called for a reform of the KP, accusing it of allowing the trade in blood diamonds to continue. There have also been online petitions by ethical jewellery groups like Brilliant Earth, with the public adding their voice to calls for a complete overhaul of the monitoring body.

Zimbabwe was suspended from trade in 2009 over human rights abuses at the Chiadzwa alluvial diamond fields, where the military has been accused of violence, forced labour, smuggling and murder. The KP, which was started to end the trade in blood diamonds, resisted pressure to ban the country completely. Instead, mining authorities were given a six month deadline to fall in line with international trade standards. That deadline was accompanied by a Join Work Plan which included the demilitarisation of the Chiadzwa area.

This has not happened and there have been ongoing reports of smuggling and harassment by military officers. Despite this, the KP has continued its lenient treatment of the Zimbabwe situation, allowing two auctions of stockpiled diamonds last year. The sales were meant to pave the way for full exports to resume, but KP members have not come to a working agreement with Zimbabwe about the future. The groups outgoing chairman Boaz Hirsch has now sent out a revised draft of the agreement that was drafted by KP members in Brussels in late November 2010. This original agreement was not accepted by Zimbabwe.

In a cover letter sent out with the revised version of the agreement, Hirsch wrote that he considers the draft his last effort as KP chairman to “bring the issue of exports of rough diamonds from (Chiadzwa) to a successful close.” Hirsch will be handing over Chairmanship of the KP to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this year, which already has human rights groups worried. The CRDs Maguwu said on Tuesday that the DRCs incoming Chairmanship was a disaster for the KP.

The DRC is a classic example of having a resource curse, Maguwu said. Theres not much they can offer when it comes to Zimbabwes compliance when they themselves are not compliant with trade standards. Alex asked Farai Maguwu what decision the Kimberley Process should make about Zimbabwes trade future: