Diamond cartel bans Zim diamonds

HARARE – An international network of companies providing services that support the development of fair and competitive diamond and jewellery markets, announced Monday that it was banning trade on all diamonds from Zimbabwe due to alleged human rights violations at a site where the precious mineral is being mined.

Saying the ban was with immediate effect, the Rapaport Group and the RapNet Diamond Trading Network cited ‘severe human rights violations’ at the controversial Chiadzwa diamond fields in ZimbabweÕs Marange where the army has been accused of murder and forced labour.’RapNet members should immediately remove all RapNet listings of diamonds originating from Zimbabwe. ‘Firms and individuals that continue to trade in diamonds from Zimbabwe will be denied access to all Rapaport services,’ the group said in a notice to its members. RapNet generates the indexes from which diamond prices are derived.The action by Rapaport comes a few weeks after Zimbabwe escaped censure by the industry’s control body, Kimberley Process (KP), despite a damning report by a KP review mission that visited the country in June.The review mission recommended the suspension of Zimbabwe from world diamond trade until it improves controls at Chiadzwa amid reports of rampant smuggling of the precious mineral.The mission also recommended the removal of the army from the mining site.The KP, however, resolved at its meeting in Namibia last month to give Zimbabwe more time to improve mining methods to meet acceptable standards. – African Press Agency