Zimonline reports that the decision whether to ban Zimbabwe diamonds will be made at a Kimberley Process (KP) meeting currently beginning in Namibia.



In recent weeks the KP has come under pressure to impose an international ban on Zimbabwe diamonds following reports by a team of investigators regarding human rights abuses and other irregularities at the Marange diamond field.



According to the review submitted by a KP delegation that visited Zimbabwe at the end of June, Zimbabwean security forces and other government entities participated in violent attacks on illegal diamond miners and were accomplices in the smuggling of diamonds from Marange.



The KP mission called for a temporary ban of six months or more to allow Zimbabwe the opportunity to comply with KP standards. It further noted that if Zimbabwe volunteered to stop selling conflict diamonds, the KP would agree to monitor the “self-suspension” to ensure that the country will implement measures enabling compliance with required standards before it can trade in diamonds again.



Several NGO’s are demanding the suspension of Zimbabwe, saying that the government had reneged on promises to withdraw the army from the Marange diamond field. They insist that only full suspension will force the Zimbabwean authorities to end violations at the diamond field.



Zimonline quotes a letter from Human Rights Watch sent to South Africa, Israel and Belgium, three influential KP members: “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.”



Nevertheless, some countries, like Namibia, have opposed suspending Zimbabwe. The KP makes its resolutions by consensus and Namibia, as chair, is mandated to conduct consultations regarding the future of Zimbabwe’s diamond trade.