The World Diamond Council is advising members of the international diamond industry to avoid trading in and exporting diamonds from Zimbabwe's Marange diamond fields, despite Kimberley Process Chairman Mathieu Yamba's recent green light for the country to resume diamond exports.

This week, Yamba sent out a statement to KP member nations saying that unresolved issues pertaining to Zimbabwe's diamonds would be addressed by the KP Working Group on Monitoring at a meeting this November, and that until that time Zimbabwe would be allowed to resume exports from the two official mining concessions in the Marange region, including existing stocks of diamonds.

The exports will be subject to oversight by the KP monitor.

A number of KP members, including the US, Canada, Israel, and the EU have taken the position that Yamba's decision contravened KP procedure – which demands that all decisions be taken by consensus – and are calling for clarification.

The WDC said that while it "welcomed and applauded" Yamba's efforts to bring an end to the complicated matter of the production and sale of Marange diamonds, the international diamond trade should nevertheless refrain from trading in Marange diamonds until the situation has been resolved.