PAC: Chiadzwa Diamonds Found in Guyana
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26.10.09, 11:21
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Mining
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According to NGO Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), diamonds from Zimbabwe’s Chiadzwa field are being smuggled as far as Sierra Leone and Guyana.
PAC, a Canadian non-profit organization fighting for the eradication of conflict diamonds worldwide, has accused Zimbabwe of a wide variety of serious offenses from smuggling and illegal seizure of diamond leases to denial of murder and human rights abuse in its diamond fields.
In its publication Other Facets, PAC notes that in 2009, Zimbabwean industrial diamonds, which are easily identified by their size and color, appeared as far afield as Guyana and Sierra Leone.
In recent months, PAC has accused the Kimberley Process (KP) of turning a blind eye to the illegal activities taking place in Zimbabwe and other diamond-producing or importing countries.
PAC also accuses the KP of making no attempt to stem a thriving illegal diamond market in Mozambique’s Manica town; according to the NGO, diamonds are smuggled out of Zimbabwe by army and government officials. Zimbabwe’s military is also being accused of forcing the local population to mine diamonds for them in return for a pittance.
In June, the NGO Human Rights Watch cited accounts from more than 100 witnesses, diamond miners, police officers, soldiers and children accusing the Zimbabwe military of human rights abuses.
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By: Rachel Lieberman, Israel Diamond Industry Portal
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