Mozambique joins an international conflict diamond monitoring scheme

Mozambique is fully embracing a positive and well needed cause by getting involved and joining an international conflict diamond monitoring scheme within common gem smuggling from Zimbabwe’s controversial Marange mines. Mozambican mining Minister stated that by December the country intends to be directly part of the Kimberly Process diamond certification scheme. The country plans to begin mining its own diamonds in the near future and is not keen to waste any precious time. Even though they are in the searching phase of mining, it is clear to government that they need to join the process within Kimberly as soon as possible so that the familiarisation of mining activities can be achieved for when they begin. Presently with 40 separate licences, there are roughly 27 businesses and distinct entities seeking for diamonds within Mozambique, which are already being sampled to ensure that the deposits are commercially feasible. Through the central Mozambican border diamond smugglers belonging to Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond mines are dealing and trading in gemstones and diamonds valued at millions of dollars. The Marange fields, has been publicised as Africa’s richest diamond discovery for the last 10 years, have been in the spotlight for the last year concerning the debate over reported mistreatment’s by the military of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. In late 2008 it was advised by researchers and industry professionals that the army detained control of brutally expelling tens of thousands of minor miners and then whipping and raping citizens to force them to mine the diamonds. It is revealed by the human rights group that roughly 200 people were killed by authorities and that researchers later captured intolerable and dreadful violence against civilians. This heavily encouraged and prompted a ban on exports of the diamonds / gemstones. In March, Zimbabwe’s deputy mines minister proclaimed that the Kimberley Process would again allow the country to sell diamonds from the mines. By Mozambique joining Kimberley, the chance of  helping to reduce the amount of diamonds being smuggled out of Zimbabwe is highly achievable. Source