The Kimberley Process Working Group on Monitoring has
“expressed its disappointment” that Zimbabwe has not accepted the recent
agreement to allow exports from the Marange region that was forged
in Dubai in April.

The disappointment was expressed in a letter sent from WGM
chairman Stéphane Chardon of the European Union to Kimberley Process chairman Mathieu
Yamba. It was posted
May 27 on the U.S. State Department’s website.

The Dubai agreement “made a genuine and concerted effort to
take account of the concerns raised by Zimbabwe 
in previous consultations,” Chardon said. “More generally, the WGM would
like to express its concern at the apparent disinterest shown by Zimbabwe, both
in Dubai and subsequently, in engaging in any constructive discussion regarding
the problems of KP implementation and non-compliance identified in the Marange
area.”

Chardon said that the Working Group “nevertheless confirms
its willingness to pursue dialogue with Zimbabwe.”

Following reports of human
rights abuses in the region, exports from Marange have been banned since
November 2009, with the exception of two
shipments that took place in the summer of 2010.  Negotiations to come to an agreement to
re-allow exports have repeatedly
failed.

On May 26, the World Federation of Diamond Bourses
issued a statement arguing that exports should immediately resume.

JCK