Zimbabwe diamond export restrictions should be lifted, says expert

May 27, 2010, 13:53 GMT

Harare - An expert in so-called conflict diamonds said Thursday he would recommend that restrictions on the export of rough diamonds from eastern Zimbabwe be lifted.

Abbey Chikane, a South African monitor appointed by the Kimberley Process (KP) diamond watchdog body to ensure that Zimbabwe's diamond trade complies with international standards, was speaking to the media during his second inspection visit to Zimbabwe.

'Zimbabwe is on track to meet the KP requirements. I (have) yet to produce my report to the KP in which I will make the recommendations for it (Zimbabwe) to start trading in rough diamonds,' Chikane, chairman of the South African Diamond Board, said.

Chikane's recommendation comes despite reports of ongoing smuggling of gems from, and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe's notorious eastern Chiadzwa fields.

The monitor said, however: 'All the gaps ... identified during my last visit have been adequately covered.'

The KP is constituted of diamond-producing countries, representatives of the world diamond trade, and civil society bodies.

At a meeting in November last year, the body rejected calls by human rights groups to ban Chiadzwa diamonds over reports of serious human rights abuses by the army and police against diamond-diggers and villagers.

The organisation instead ruled that Chiadzwa diamonds could only be exported after being certified by a monitor and gave Zimbabwe until next month to clean up its procedures.

Among other thing, Harare was ordered to withdraw the army from Marange, where they are accused of abusing villagers and smuggling diamonds to line their own pockets.

The Zimbabwe government insists it needs the army to remain to safeguard the area.

'There is consensus (from the stakeholders in Zimbabwe) that the army must remain until government has created conditions for more investors to move in.

'But the army needs to be trained so that their activities are consistent with professional requirements of a professional defence force,' he said.

Chikane said he had asked Harare to ensure that two joint-venture firms licensed by the government to mine diamonds at Marange beef up their security to prevent smuggling.

The South African also endorsed Zimbabwe's shipment of gems to the United Arab Emirates in April. The shipment took place without his prior approval, but the monitor said that it had complied with most of the KP's requirements.