The World Diamond Council (WDC) has urged all international diamond dealers not to trade in stones from Zimbabwe's controversial Chiadzwa diamond fields, until their legal trade status has been clarified.
The warning comes after the new chairman of the international trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process (KP), unilaterally gave Zimbabwe the green light to start exporting Chiadzwa diamonds.
According to the US based Rapaport Diamond Trading Network (RapNet), KP Chairman Mathieu Yamba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, said exports from the two "compliant" mining firms in Chiadzwa could resume "with immediate effect."
But the WDC said in a statement on Tuesday that it "understands that a number of KP participant countries, including the United States, Canada, Israel and the European Union are seeking clarity on procedural issues surrounding this release and have indicated that exports should not be permitted until these issues have been explained and resolved."
"While the World Diamond Council welcomes and applauds Mr.Yamba's efforts to bring an end to the apparent impasse that currently exists regarding the status of production and stocks from (Chiadzwa), the WDC advises members of the international diamond industry to refrain from trading in and exporting goods from the region, until the situation and the status of these goods becomes clearer," the WDC said in a statement.
Rapaport News meanwhile reported on Monday that the US has objected to Yamba's decision to allow the exports. US representatives have apparently sent a note to the KP authorities in India and the United Arab Emirates stating that it would view any shipments from Zimbabwe as non-compliant. The US has also warned that it would publish the names of companies taking delivery of the diamonds on the State Department website to ensure that all American companies are aware of potentially non-compliant goods.
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You are a troll. You must think that people are pretty dumb to try and get them to swallow your horsesh*t.
The minister of finance has a feduciary duty to protect the citizens of Zimbabwe, that's why he should know the names of all of the buyers of Marange Diamonds and that is why he needs to find out where the missing $300M of diamond profit went to. And because he hasn't been given that information, he has the right to order an audit to find out where it's gone.
His actions are done for the best interests of all Zimbabweans; unlike Maggot and his blood suckers who only care about their fellow members of ZANU-PF.
DL
If you believe that "$300million went missing" then you're a horse high on sh*t.
There was never any money that went missing. Not even one cent.
Biti is a treacherous individual.Always has been and is unlikely to change. Treachery is how he came into power and it's how he'll maintain power.
He's the same man who drafted the ZIDERA sanctions alongside Eddie Cross (the old Rhodesian arms dealer & businessman) and George Chaibva(i stand to be corrected on George) in Nyanga.
He's the same man who's pushing for Zimbabwe to adopt the IMF's dangerous HIPC program. Google, "BITI:SEEKING SYMPATHY FROM THE DEVIL".
According to Wikileaks,he is the west's "go to man" when they want to lift or add sanctions.
You then mewed ,"he should know the names of all diamond buyers".. F**k that! Isn't it a coincidence that the west's "go to man" is asking exactly the same questions the US wants answers to???
Let's not try to defend the indefensible here. Biti is a treacherous individual. His own boss doesn't trust him and his party members despise him.
"This is economic sabotage!"
No, this is basic economics. Value is not a fixed property of matter. Consumers are under no obligation to buy what you produce, whether it's worthless Zim dollars or shiny diamonds they would gladly pay millions for if they were being sold by anyone EXCEPT you.
You think you can force people to certify your blood diamonds "cruelty-free" if you can stack enough extra cruelty on top of them. You are wrong, all you can do is ruin your own diamond market just as you have ruined your own money market.
Oh, and claiming that the EU "does the same thing" isn't going to work. Reality doesn't change just because you tell a lie, no matter how loudly and persistently you tell it.
Ragtimer, I agree that you cannot force consumers to buy what they do not want or were the perceived value does not exists. That is the free entreprise!
However, Zimbabwean diamond do have a market and it is called India, Hong Kong and China. Also there is other asian markets that are interested in Zimbabwean diamond, Namely South Korea and Singapore. Why not let the free market operate where the diamonds from Zimbabwe are wanted?
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