A human rights group has warned profits from Zimbabwe’s diamond fields could be used to fund violence in the country’s future elections. Global Witness reports that several directors of Anjin, a mining firm operating in the fields, are members of Zimbabwe’s military and police, which are loyal to longtime President Robert Mugabe. It says the […]

Zimbabwe has reached an agreement to sell diamonds mined from the country’s controversial Marange fields. The World Diamond Council says the deal was reached Tuesday at a meeting in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa. It was ratified by members of the Kimberley Process, a system to prevent so-called “blood diamonds” from reaching international markets. The agreement allows […]

Human rights groups want some major banks to reevaluate their ties to banks in Zimbabwe, saying the relationships indirectly support the trade in so-called “blood diamonds.” Partnership Africa Canada says the banks, including Britain’s Barclays and South Africa’s Standard Bank, are not involved in the Zimbabwe diamond trade. But the group’s research director says they […]

A global diamond monitoring group has found itself divided over a decision to allow Zimbabwe to sell diamonds from one of its controversial fields. The Kimberley Process, which aims to prevent so-called “conflict diamonds” from entering the market, has approved the sale of the Zimbabwe gems from its Marange field. However, the watchdog group is […]

Zimbabwe’s mining minister says he will no longer discuss whether his country can sell its diamonds, as international meetings on conflict diamonds continue this week. Mines Minister Obert Mpofu told VOA Zimbabwe has fully complied with international requests to improve its human rights conditions at the Marange diamond fields. He says Zimbabwe will resist attempts […]