Diamond mining and trade has with time brewed intense conflicts in Africas diamond rich countries. According to the United Nations Security Council, conflict diamond is,
...diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council(Campbell 13).
War-torn regions of south Africa (Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana) and central Africa (Liberia, Angola and Ivory Coast) have been related to conflict diamonds and this has often prompted the international community in a bid to protect human rights to lay sanctions on these countries so as to stop the illegal trade of bloodconflict diamond. Conflict diamonds issues caught the attention of the international community in late 1990s following the bloody conflict in Sierra Leone (Celia 1). Sources indicate that close to four percent of the worlds diamond industry constituted of conflict diamonds in the 1990s. In Angola for instance, Jonas Savimbi leader of UNITA rebel group, re-armed his forces through conflict diamond funds in 1998 despite the many years of UNs financial and arms sanctions. To date, the intervention of the United Nations has considerably reduced the trade in conflict diamond to less than one percent (Campbell 25). This achievement is credited to the efforts of the diamond industry, NGOs such as Partnerships Africa Canada, Global Witness and Amnesty International, the UN and respective governments through the Kimberly process which certifies origin of any diamond entering the legitimate diamond market. Evictions of inhabitants from diamond fields has also been an issue of humanitarian concern as most people have been unlawfully evicted without resettlement in the name of diamond production.
In a case of Zimbabwe the participants of the United Nations campaign against conflict diamond are seeking to halt the armys smuggling of diamond (Celia 1). According to Kimberly process investigators, the army has been intensively involved in mining and smuggling of diamond into the legitimate market. However, the efforts to penalize countries that violate the international diamond industry standards such as Zimbabwe face tough challenges given that another Kimberly participant can block the suspension of a country as in South Africas protection of Zimbabwe. A 44-pages through investigation report by the Kimberly investigators notes that Zimbabwe army have been in involved in operation of unlawful syndicates that mine diamond from the diamond rich Marange fled and then smuggling it into Mozambique (Campbell 57).
Though not a case of conflict diamond, the smuggling process has been identified as a potential avenue through which conflict gold can be introduced noting the recent political unrest in the country. President Mugabe who pioneered the political strives is the one in charge of the military and the ministry of mining in the coalition government. Suspension of Zimbabwe would repress its activity in the international diamond market therefore repress Mugabes source of funds to run the military. This draw back towards the fight against human rights violation is that some provisions under Kimberly allow protection of a country by another. Its alleged that the government is aware of the smuggling and its failure to combat illegal mining and smuggling is threatening Africans diamond market abroad (Celia 2). Noting the complexity of the case, opponents of conflict diamond have proposed a majority vote decagon none the issue rather than consensus.
Until recently, Botswanas Diamonds for Development initiative had been a successful foreign policy when the international NGOs raised concerns over conflict diamond cases following the evictions of the San bushmen form Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). Botswanas diamond earns the government 80 of the total export and forty percent of the GDP (Jacqueline 2). San bushmen had been relocated following what NGOs claim as diamond finds in CKRG. This adversely destabilized their life prompting the international community and other NGOs such as Survival International and other movements such as the First people of Kalahari to intervene in order to assert for the rights of the bushmen which had been violated in the name of diamond mines. In 2006, Botswanas high court resolved that the Bushmen be allowed back to CKGR by which the government vowed to abide (Jacqueline 4). The governments interpretation of the resolution was rather repressing on the rights of the Sans as it laid strict conditions for the Bushmen families returning to CKRG. Sans though, had proposed that they be allowed back unconditionally into CKRG to resume their normal gathering and hunting lives. The government had restricted the entry of applicants spouses, rearing of livestock and restricted hunting to traditional methods.
The states move followed the unaccountability of failure of the various national and international movements mandated to champion for bushmens rights (Jacqueline 7). This outcome has prompted experts to question the integrity and competency of some of the human rights movements as they created a distorting picture of the government. The punitive government guidelines have been blamed on the intrusive movements. The movements had spread rumors linking the relocations with diamond mining thus labeling Botswanas diamond as conflict diamond. On its side, the government declines that the relocations were inspired by diamond mines but admits that relocations were prompted by a plan to develop its tourism industry. The government though violated human rights by not giving them complete freedom.
...diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council(Campbell 13).
War-torn regions of south Africa (Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana) and central Africa (Liberia, Angola and Ivory Coast) have been related to conflict diamonds and this has often prompted the international community in a bid to protect human rights to lay sanctions on these countries so as to stop the illegal trade of bloodconflict diamond. Conflict diamonds issues caught the attention of the international community in late 1990s following the bloody conflict in Sierra Leone (Celia 1). Sources indicate that close to four percent of the worlds diamond industry constituted of conflict diamonds in the 1990s. In Angola for instance, Jonas Savimbi leader of UNITA rebel group, re-armed his forces through conflict diamond funds in 1998 despite the many years of UNs financial and arms sanctions. To date, the intervention of the United Nations has considerably reduced the trade in conflict diamond to less than one percent (Campbell 25). This achievement is credited to the efforts of the diamond industry, NGOs such as Partnerships Africa Canada, Global Witness and Amnesty International, the UN and respective governments through the Kimberly process which certifies origin of any diamond entering the legitimate diamond market. Evictions of inhabitants from diamond fields has also been an issue of humanitarian concern as most people have been unlawfully evicted without resettlement in the name of diamond production.
In a case of Zimbabwe the participants of the United Nations campaign against conflict diamond are seeking to halt the armys smuggling of diamond (Celia 1). According to Kimberly process investigators, the army has been intensively involved in mining and smuggling of diamond into the legitimate market. However, the efforts to penalize countries that violate the international diamond industry standards such as Zimbabwe face tough challenges given that another Kimberly participant can block the suspension of a country as in South Africas protection of Zimbabwe. A 44-pages through investigation report by the Kimberly investigators notes that Zimbabwe army have been in involved in operation of unlawful syndicates that mine diamond from the diamond rich Marange fled and then smuggling it into Mozambique (Campbell 57).
Though not a case of conflict diamond, the smuggling process has been identified as a potential avenue through which conflict gold can be introduced noting the recent political unrest in the country. President Mugabe who pioneered the political strives is the one in charge of the military and the ministry of mining in the coalition government. Suspension of Zimbabwe would repress its activity in the international diamond market therefore repress Mugabes source of funds to run the military. This draw back towards the fight against human rights violation is that some provisions under Kimberly allow protection of a country by another. Its alleged that the government is aware of the smuggling and its failure to combat illegal mining and smuggling is threatening Africans diamond market abroad (Celia 2). Noting the complexity of the case, opponents of conflict diamond have proposed a majority vote decagon none the issue rather than consensus.
Until recently, Botswanas Diamonds for Development initiative had been a successful foreign policy when the international NGOs raised concerns over conflict diamond cases following the evictions of the San bushmen form Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). Botswanas diamond earns the government 80 of the total export and forty percent of the GDP (Jacqueline 2). San bushmen had been relocated following what NGOs claim as diamond finds in CKRG. This adversely destabilized their life prompting the international community and other NGOs such as Survival International and other movements such as the First people of Kalahari to intervene in order to assert for the rights of the bushmen which had been violated in the name of diamond mines. In 2006, Botswanas high court resolved that the Bushmen be allowed back to CKGR by which the government vowed to abide (Jacqueline 4). The governments interpretation of the resolution was rather repressing on the rights of the Sans as it laid strict conditions for the Bushmen families returning to CKRG. Sans though, had proposed that they be allowed back unconditionally into CKRG to resume their normal gathering and hunting lives. The government had restricted the entry of applicants spouses, rearing of livestock and restricted hunting to traditional methods.
The states move followed the unaccountability of failure of the various national and international movements mandated to champion for bushmens rights (Jacqueline 7). This outcome has prompted experts to question the integrity and competency of some of the human rights movements as they created a distorting picture of the government. The punitive government guidelines have been blamed on the intrusive movements. The movements had spread rumors linking the relocations with diamond mining thus labeling Botswanas diamond as conflict diamond. On its side, the government declines that the relocations were inspired by diamond mines but admits that relocations were prompted by a plan to develop its tourism industry. The government though violated human rights by not giving them complete freedom.
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