KP rejects US's definition of 'blood diamonds'

The 2012 Kimberley Process Intercessional meeting held in Washington DC, ended on a high note for the Zimbabwean delegation with the majority of the participants rejecting United States and the civic society's suspicious reformation proposals.

The KP Intercessional meeting which was hosted by the current KP Chair, the United States, saw members of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) together with Asian countries rejecting the proposals by the US to redefine the term conflict diamonds as well as the setting up of an Administration Support Mechanism.

The participants say there is no basis for the reformation of the KP Charter and expressed suspicion at the reformation proposals by the US which they perceived to be geared at maintaining its manipulation of the Kimberley Process and moves to stop countries like Zimbabwe from exporting their diamonds.

Head of Zimbabwe delegation, Mines and Mining Development Minister, Dr Obert Mpofu commended the KP participants for denouncing the manipulation of KP by a few participants under the guise of suspicious reforms.

Attorney General, Mr. Johannes Tomana, who questioned the rationale of having institutions such as Geneva Centre for Democratic Armed Forces heading the KP secretariat, concurred with legal advisor to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Mr Farai Mutamangira on the irregularity of US and Western countries’ reformation proposals.

The US with the backing of civic society groupings within the Kimberley Process have been pushing for the redefinition of the term ‘bloody diamonds’ to include issues of human rights, violence and good governance as well as the setting up of a full time secretariat.
 
Observers however contend that the proposals were meant to ensure that the US manipulates the global diamond body and re-certify Marange diamonds.

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