Zimbabwe was on Tuesday cleared by the Kimberley Process to resume rough diamond exports from two compliant mines in Marange “with immediate effect” – ending years of diplomatic squabbles.

The decision sets free Marange Resources and Mbada Diamonds to sell their stockpiles of diamonds on the international market, while a third mine, the Chinese-owned Anjin, is scheduled to be confirmed as fully compliant within fourteen days.

Zimbabwe has been vigorously campaigning for the certification of its Marange diamonds by the international watchdog, but it was faced with opposition from western countries who quoted human rights abuses going on in the diamond fields east of the country.

Diamond Council (WDC) welcomed the agreement ratified by all 76 members of the world’s diamond-producing nations meeting in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“This is a real milestone, and demonstrates categorically that the Kimberley Process provides the framework through which the integrity of the rough diamond chain of distribution can be protected, while at the same time enabling producing countries gain benefit from their natural resources,” says Eli Izhakoff, President of the WDC, from the meeting in Kinshasa.

He added: “Congratulations and thanks are due to the European Union, for the critical role it played in proposing the agreement and bringing it to fruition.

“Credit also is due to Zimbabwe, the African nations led by the South Africa, the United States, and a host of individuals and delegates who put in long hours in negotiating the arrangement, which has escaped us for more than two years.

“It has been a long time in coming and I fervently hope that it allows us to move both the KP and the industry forward.”

Prior to the adoption of the agreement, there were a lot of countries that specifically spoke out in favour of it. China, India, Canada, Namibia, Australia, Norway, Botswana, UAE, Switzerland, Ghana, CAR, Brazil, Europe, and Liberia all expressed their strong support for the decision.

Some of the countries that in the past were considered to be the greatest obstacles to the agreement now talked warmly of it.

In his acceptance speech, Mines Minister Obert Mpofu noted that “the world has been with us, and only a few voices of resistance were drowning our global support.”

Mpofu also spoke graciously about the WDC’s Izhakoff and said that even in times of personal distress, he was always there to help him and show him that the KPCS was the only way to go in solving the Zimbabwe impasse.