adminADPA focal point in Ghana, Mr Seth Klaye, said it was critical to ensure that KP focus on its primary mandate to avoid a repeat of what happened in Zimbabwe where some Western powers sought to politicise Harare gems.
Mr Klaye, whose country currently chairs ADPA, said this recently while addressing an ADPA conference in Ghana, where various diamond stakeholders from the continent were meeting.
“The very recent challenge was that of the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe. This challenge, as you are all aware, pushed the KP to the brink,” he said. Mr Klaye said it took an organisation such as ADPA, immediate past KP chair Democratic Republic of Congo, and “other voices of reason”, to salvage the situation in Zimbabwe where some Western powers sought to throw politics in Harare diamonds.
In an interview yesterday, ADPA Civil Society Coalition secretary-general Mr Joshua Marufu echoed the same sentiments, saying KP’s primary mandate was to curb trade of conflict diamond and not to meddle in the politics of a country. Mr Marufu said it was important for Africa to speak with one voice on matters of mutual interest such as the need to control its resources like diamonds.
“We are satisfied that our African governments are moving forward in the protection of our sovereign rights, especially the right to our mineral resources which play a pivotal role in the development of our economy,” said Mr Marufu, who also attended the Ghana meeting.
He said the meeting in Ghana roundly condemned the imposition of sanctions against state entities like the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.
“It was noted that this was affecting the inflow of revenue into the fiscus,” he said.
Online Reporter