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Zimbabwe Smuggling Incidents Continue
By B. Earth | July 14, 2009
As Zimbabwe’s ongoing legitimacy in the Kimberley Process is questioned, the country continues to demonstrate a lack of control over its rampant diamond smuggling. The government, the military and many civilians of Zimbabwe are all simultaneously in the business of smuggling conflict diamonds into world markets.
Zimbabwe police recently arrested a Lebanese former student in Harare after he attempted to smuggle 2.3 kilograms of rough diamonds out of the country. Bound for Lebanon, he was stopped at the airport, where the diamonds were found in his luggage. While the incident is still being investigated, it is believed that the man was a link in a network of Iraqi smuggling syndicates.
Additionally, four Zimbabwean army soldiers were recently killed in what appears to be two separate diamond-related incidents. In both cases, only one day apart, two soldiers were found dead near their bases. It is believed that both pairs of soldiers were killed by their comrades during arguments over diamond proceeds. Unfortunately, these were only the most recent in a string of violent incidents relating to the illegal trade of diamonds smuggled from Zimbabwe’s contentious Chiadzwa diamond fields.
The continually deteriorating conditions in Zimbabwe emphasize the importance of a rigorous investigation and a legitimately enforced international diamond certification process. Clearly, Zimbabwe cannot currently be trusted to oversee its own diamond exports, especially when the government itself is in on the widespread smuggling. Until there’s a way to ensure the integrity of diamonds mined in war-stricken regions, it is important to only buy diamonds from trusted, documented sources.
Topics: Conflict Diamond Issues, In the News, Uncategorized |