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The US has already imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe’s three major producers of diamonds namely: Marange Resources, Mbada Diamond Mining and Anjin Investments, all from Marange diamond fields. The US by imposing sanctions on the three diamond mining companies went against a collective decision by countries that are members of the KPCS.
At its plenary session in the Democratic Republic of Congo last November, the KPCS endorsed the export of all diamonds produced in the Marange area. The KPCS member countries should have been taken by surprise when a month later, the US decided to go against the decision of the international body and imposed sanctions on the very companies that got the KPCS nod to sell their diamonds.
The US government which, as we have stated before, cannot afford to exclude Zimbabwe from KPCS meetings, has gone out of its way to ensure the Zimbabwean delegation, headed by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Obert Mpofu, attends the meeting underway in its country despite the fact that some members of the delegation including Minister Mpofu are on its travel ban list.
Zimbabwe is the world’s seventh biggest diamond producer with a capacity to meet 25 percent of the global diamonds demand. The US which is determined to ensure Zimbabwe is banned from exporting its diamonds has already upped its campaign to convince KPCS member countries to support its position to block Zimbabwean exports.
Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, the first woman to chair the Kimberley Process, has unashamedly said the US government would push the KPCS countries to broaden the definition of “conflict diamonds” to include human rights violations by governments as opposed to confining it to rebels.
At the moment the KPCS charter defines conflict diamonds as “rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments”. A number of delegations have been sent to Zimbabwe to verify compliance of operations and these delegations have confirmed that the mining operations at the targeted Marange fields meet the KPCS’ minimum requirements hence this desperate attempt by the US to redefine “conflict diamonds”.
It is comforting to learn that members of the African Diamond Producers are resisting the US manoeuvres. Time has come for the world to send a loud and clear message to the US that it cannot continue to bully other nations.
The KPCS grouping should not allow the US to abuse it by running the organisation as its fiefdom. Mr Marc van Bockstael was the last KPCS monitor to visit Zimbabwe and he left last month. Mr Bockstael’s report like reports of many others before him confirmed that Zimbabwe has fully complied with KPCS’ minimum standards.
The KPCS grouping should take the US to task for its lack of respect for the organisation. The failure by the grouping to reprimand or take action against the US for going against a collective decision by member countries could send a wrong signal regarding the relevance of the organisation.
Zimbabwe like any other KPCS member country should be allowed to enjoy the fruits of its mineral wealth given the fact that it has complied with the KPCS minimum requirements.
We want to once again urge the KPCS grouping to take advantage of the power of numbers to clip US wings so that the organisation continues to command respect.
Online Reporter