Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Zim to sell Marange gems: Mpofu

Zim to sell Marange gems: Mpofu
by Reuters
24/06/2010 00:00:00

MINES Minister Obert Mpofu on Wednesday told a meeting of the Kimberly Process in Israel that Zimbabwe would immediately start selling diamond stockpiles from its Marange fields to boost the country’s economic recovery.

Mpofu said this as the KP discussions on whether to lift a suspension of the export ban on Marange remained deadlocked. Civil society groups have urged the KP certification scheme to suspend ties with Zimbabwe because of alleged human rights abuses in its Marange fields.

"I would like to take this opportunity to advise that Zimbabwe will be immediately exporting its diamond stockpiles because we are KP compliant and we need the money to drive the economy forward," Mpofu told the meeting of some 70 members of the KP in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

"We have invited the KP monitor to continue discharging his mandate under the supervised export arrangement."
He spoke at a sesssion closed to the media, but he provided Reuters with a copy of his speech and told the news agency: "I am going to sell the diamonds."

While the meeting was due to end on Wednesday evening, Boaz Hirsch, the 2010 KP chairman, said delegates had not been able to reach a consensus on Zimbabwe and were continuing to meet.

"There has been quite a lively discussion with a whole spectrum of opinions expressed," he told reporters.
Mpofu voiced concern that some were using the process to keep Zimbabwe's diamonds out of the market.
"Zimbabwe will be contributing more than 30 percent of the diamonds produced in the world," he said. "We shall be selling with certificates issued by ourselves and in this regard the KP monitor will be free to supervise the exports."

The Kimberley Process, a certification scheme set up to monitor diamond trade, angered human rights groups and diamond traders this month when a monitor it appointed to assess the mining operations at Marange said Zimbabwe had met the minimum conditions set by the regulator and could start gem exports.

Sources present at the closed meetings said most African countries, excluding West African countries, as well as India and Russia supported the monitor's report while the United States, Australia and the European Union reiterated concerns that Zimbabwe had not met the minimum requirements of the KP.

Rights groups allege serious abuses by security forces deployed by the Zimbabwean government to stop illegal diamond digging after up to 30 000 panners descended on the poorly secured fields in 2006.

In a report KP monitor Abbey Chikane voiced concern over the presence of the army in Marange, but warned against their rapid removal, saying this could trigger illegal digging.

The Zimbabwean government agreed to a process of assessment by the Kimberley Process following reports of atrocities in Marange four years ago. Rights groups claim soldiers in Marange are still engaging in forced labour, torture and harassment.

The KP's meeting in Tel Aviv will be followed by a higher level meeting in November in Jerusalem.

Labels: KIMBERLEY PROCESS, MARANGE DIAMOND FIELDS

posted by MrK @ 3:19 PM