Zimbabwe: Whose Diamonds?

AfricaFocus Bulletin
Jun 18, 2010 (100618)

Editor's Note  

Zimbabwe's diamond wealth, which could potentially provide a
decisive boost for economic recovery, is instead still a resource
shared by diamond smugglers, army officers and police, and by
cliques of top officials in the country's security apparatus, says
a new report from "conflict diamonds" researchers at Partnership
Africa Canada (PAC).

The report comes just as Kimberley Process Monitor Abbey Chikane
has completed a draft report recommending certification of diamond
production from the Marange fields, which will be discussed at a
meeting of the group of governments, industry representatives, and
non-governmental organizations in Israel on June 21-23. Whatever
the outcome of that meeting, notes the PAC report, there are
fundamental weaknesses in the process, which formally only
considers "rough diamonds" sold by rebel movements, and does not
consider human rights abuses and corruption by governments
themselves.

The inadequacies were blatantly on view as the KP Monitor himself
was complicit in facilitating the arrest of the leading local civil
society diamond reseacher, Farai Maguwu of Mutare's Centre for
Research and Development. Chikane's draft report focused on
technical issues of security of processing procedure, and did not
address broader issues.

If exports from Marange are approved, it will only replace part of
the flow now going across the border through Mozambique by
syndicates partnered by military and police personnel with sales
through dubious companies established by the Ministry of Mines.
What is required, whether from internal pressure from within
Zimbabwe or from an improved Kimberley Process, is full
transparency and accountability that ensures that the proceeds
reach the public treasury rather than private factions relying on
force and corruption.

This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains a press release and brief
excerpts from the new report by Partnership Africa Canada:
"Diamonds and Clubs: The Militarized Control of Diamonds and Power
in Zimbabwe." The full 32-page report is available from
http://www.pacweb.org / direct url to pdf
 http://tinyurl.com/2dhjclw

For an excellent short analytical summary of the current situation
in Zimbabwe, see the issue brief from the Chr. Michelsen Institute
"Zimbabwe's Multilayered Crisis," by Alois Mlambo and Brian
Raftopoulos on http://www.solidaritypeacetrust.org or http://www.cmi.no / direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/2clpxh7

The leaked draft report from Kimberley Process monitor Abbey
Chikane is available at:
http://www.swradioafrica.com/Documents/KPMonitor090610.pdf
The report includes sections on the theft of his papers, as well as
his decision to hand over to authorities a document allegedly
shared with him by Farai Maguwu.

For an interview with Farai Maguwu, before he was placed under
arrest by Zimbabwean police, see.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/hotseat070610.htm

The official Kimberley Process website is
http://www.kimberleyprocess.com/
     
For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Zimbabwe, see
http://www.africafocus.org/country/zimbabwe.php