West Perpetrating Rights Abuses Through Diamond War

Republic of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe went on a fact-finding tour through two diamond mining projects in the Southern African nation. Zimbabwe is reported to be a large-scale depository of diamonds., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Thursday, Aug 04th

West Perpetrating Rights Abuses Through Diamond War

By Tendai Moyo
Zimbabwe Herald

Diamonds from the Chiadzwa area of Manicaland in Zimbabwe have gained unparallelled global prominence not because of their wealth creation or inherent aesthetic value but unfairly due to their contested state on the diamond market.

The rugged bowels of Chiadzwa are believed to be nursing rough diamonds estimated to constitute an awesome 20 percent of world diamond deposits.

Earnest attempts by the Zimbabwean Government to harness these naturally endowed gems for the benefit of its sanctions emaciated people are continually being scuttled by the US and its cartel of European bedfellows through the abuse of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme.

These neo-colonialists claim that there are prevalent human rights abuses being perpetrated by the Zimbabwean Government against its people as well as unchecked smuggling of rough diamonds through the porous Mozambican borders.

Charges of human rights abuses arise from unsubstantiated reports from armchair researchers in the money-driven Western proxy organisations such as the Centre for Research and Development, which masquerade as civic organisations.

These reports, which surprisingly lack tacit corroboration from the Western backed MDC formations, have found their way into the mainstream Western media that apparently have the racist mandate to diligently denigrate anything African.

Armed with these unfounded reports, Western media and partisan civic organisations like Global Witness and Canada Africa Partnership, enthusiastically peddle political positions that promote the indiscriminate blockade of trade in Marange diamonds.

What these regime-change-mongers are oblivious of is that their restless efforts to block this trade are particularly causing untold human suffering among the generality of Zimbabweans. They are unquestionably perpetrating human rights abuses by actively promoting a heinous campaign to block diamond exports that can significantly contribute to the resuscitation of an economy battered by a decade of biting sanctions.

Their disingenuous efforts are contributing to the continued shortage of critical health, educational and social services which could have been ameliorated if revenue inflows from the diamond trade were left to flow freely.

In a way, they are manifestly infringing human rights by denying people access to basic necessities which could easily be funded from diamond money.

A snap view of the efficacy of diamond money in ameliorating the people's financial struggles was recently availed when the meagre proceeds from the suppressed diamond trade were used to moderately adjust the paltry earnings of Government workers. As a result, these workers managed to minimally improve food supplies for their families and save some of the money for health, education and other basic requirements.

This development has brought disillusionment in peoples' hearts towards the West's sincerity in blocking exports of their abundant diamonds. Questions were raised on whether the West is really concerned about the so-called human rights abuses in the country when it was at the forefront of unflinchingly propagate a diamond trade embargo that promotes hunger, diseases and poverty.

Similar questions were vehemently echoed by regional, continental and various international groups that understandably questioned the logic behind the West's unrelenting campaign to block Zimbabwean diamonds.

The African Diamonds Producers Association decided to stoically rally behind Zimbabwe's bid to participate in the diamond trade without undue interference from the westerners.

"Zimbabwean diamonds cannot be held at ransom just because a minority of countries within the KP continues to block consensus deliberately. The motives behind the attempt to block Zimbabwean diamonds are sinister and driven by political agendas on the part of those countries," reads an ADPA a statement in November 2010.

The statement went on to say that no country in the world has the right to block another country's trade as it is a violation of the World Trade Organisation rules.

South Africa similarly came out in the open saying it will import diamonds from Chiadzwa despite stern warnings from the usual Western quarters.

Musa Zondi, spokesman for South African Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu, said Pretoria's position is the same as that of KPSC Chairman Mathieu Yamba, who had issued a statement saying Zimbabwe can freely sell its diamonds, "so there is absolutely no reason why they shouldn't be sold on an open market".

A communiqué from the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator signed by Dithuso Kgari said, "South Africa has taken a position in support of Zimbabwe regarding exports of rough diamonds. On that note, we will accept imports of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe".

Other stakeholders in the industry have also registered their unbridled desire to see Zimbabwe join the diamond league saying its abundant deposits have the potential to buoy the industry to greater heights.

In India, from where 95 percent of the world's cut and polished diamonds are exported, the industry is lobbying for access to the Zimbabwean diamonds.

"Instead of South Africa, the initiative of accepting import of Zimbabwe diamonds should have been taken by India as Surat is the end-user of Zimbabwe stones. It is very crucial to clear Zimbabwe's rough diamond export," said Ashit Metha, Chairman of Surat Rough Diamond Sourcing India, the body representing diamond importers.

The World Diamond Council also decried the politicisation of the Zimbabwean issue saying that the KP should be cognisant of the fact that these diamonds have the potential to adequately support lives of millions of ordinary people in the country.

"I believe all sides agree that what is at stake here is not only the wellbeing of the diamond business, but also the economic future of ordinary people living in the diamond producing areas. And this of course, includes Zimbabwe, whose production provides an exciting opportunity in Africa. But, if the Kimberly Process is rendered ineffective as a result of indecision at the executive level, nobody really benefits," said WDC President Eli Izhakoff.

What is puzzling therefore is why the US and its other Western acolytes would intransigently go against world pressure to allow exports in Marange gems?

The answer could lie in the fact that these imperialist are using the KPSC as a convenient avenue to enforce their illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe. This realisation inadvertently imports the publicly-held truth that the Western sanctions against the country are not only limited to travel restrictions against some selected Zanu-PF members but are fully fledged measures designed to strangle its economy.

In line with other previous measures to stifle Zimbabwe's sources of funds, the Westerners have besieged the KPSC to ensure that they plug another avenue that has the potential to provide a lifeline to the country's limping economy.

Their pious opposition to trade in Marange diamonds is also informed by the firm realisation that these gems have a potential to put their sanctions regime asunder. Yes, they have realised that revenue from the rich diamond deposits could effectively torpedo and render useless their regime change inspired sanctions against Zimbabwe.

As such, it is also instructive that, contrary to their claims, these Westerners are pursuing a non-targeted and indiscriminate sanctions regime that is clearly directed at the totality of Zimbabwean people.

While the West has spread its numerous tentacles to block our diamond exports in the form of civic and political organisations, what have we done as a country to counter the unwarranted attacks?

It is therefore advisable for Zimbabweans to immediately shed of their lackadaisical approach to fighting for their natural right to export diamonds and fervently assume a combative frame that squarely match that of its western nemesis.

We should henceforth besiege Western capitals to vociferously clamour for our incontrovertible right to freely sell our diamonds.

We should simultaneously inundate the global media with our just plea for an unfettered right to trade our mineral resources. We must immediately stand up to the plate and shrug of the lethargy that has debilitated our will to fight for self-determination. Let us make all the necessary noises at every international forum to make our voices heard in the clutter of opposing choruses led by the west.

We have irrefutable support from all corners of the world to freely trade our diamonds hence what is left is for us to immediately grasp this momentum and use it to secure our natural right to sell our minerals without any extraneous interference.

indo2moyo@gmail.com