Chikane OKs Zimbabwe’ Exports According to Leaked Report

Zimbabwe has satisfied minimum requirements of the KPCS for the trade in rough diamonds,” concludes KP Monitor Abbey Chikane in his report about the country’s Marange fields. The report, leaked to a couple of newspapers, has angered a number of groups, including an NGO that is part of the Process.

Chikane’s report, yet to be officially published, was drafted following his visit to Zimbabwe to review the status of the Marange fields and the diamonds produced in the region. According to The New York Times, Zimbabwe had met the minimum required standards to trade in rough diamonds and that he was “ready to supervise export arrangements.”

Further, Chikane advocated that the army, which is accused of the human rights violations that were the pretext for his mission, continue guarding the diamond fields until the police could be trained for the task.

The report rose an irate response from Global Witness, which stated that the “State-sponsored violence and human rights abuses are still taking place,” contrary to “claims made in [the] leaked report.”

Global Witness doubted the credibility of the report, however it did not explain what about it was not credible.

The NGO continued to connect the report to Chikane’s meeting with activist Farai Maguwu. Maguwu presented to Chikane a report by the police about its activities in the Marange area, apparently in violation of KP.

Maguwu turned himself into police custody after his house and office were raided by the police and his brother arrested. Authorities claim he stole the document.

Stephane Chardon, Chairman of the Kimberley Process Working Group on Monitoring (WGM), confirmed to IDEX Online that the Monitor’s report was submitted, but declined to comment on its content, “It is an internal report,” he said. “We will discuss its conclusions and will make a decision about the recommendations.” Chardon did not say if the conclusions will be adopted at the upcoming KP meeting in Israel later this month.