Report: Mpofu Threatens to Sue KP Chair Over Diamond Export Ban
Post Date: 02 Dec 2010 Viewed: 714
Zimbabwe's Mines Minister Obert Mpofu has threatened to sue Boaz Hirsch, chairman of the Kimberley Process until the end of the year, over the KP's ban on diamond exports from the country's controversial Marange diamond fields, the Voice of America reports.
In response to a recent report that KP Monitor for Zimbabwe Abbey Chikane had certified Zimbabwe diamonds for export without approval from the KP, Hirsch released a statement saying that Chinkane's visit had not been conducted under the auspices of the KP and reiterating that the ban on export sale of Zimbabwe's diamonds would remain in place.
According to Voanews.com, Mpofu said that Chikane was correct in greenlighting Marange diamonds for export under the same arrangement with the KP that allowed limited, supervised sales of rough diamonds in August and September of this year.
Zimbabwe will "continue to resist the politicization of the [Kimberley Process] by participant," the Voice of America quoted the minister as saying. VoA also reported that Mpofu's threat to sue the KP chairman was dismissed by attorney Tinoziva Bere, who described the threat as showing Mpofu's "desperation" to sell the country's diamonds.
Zimbabwe chose not to attend a round of talks in Belgium last week that served as a follow-up to the Kimberley Process plenary session, which took place in Jerusalem from November 1-4 and failed to reach a consensus on Zimbabwe diamond exports. The Belgium talks arrived at a tentative deal on a modified version of the Jerusalem Agreement, and the draft is currently waiting approval.