Bernhard Esau, the Namibian government official who is now chairman of the Kimberley Process, is now denying comments attributed to him that Zimbabwe would not be suspended from the process.
The Zimbabwe press last week quoted Esau as saying that the conclusions of the KP review mission would "not be taken seriously."
"I never said that," said Esau in an e-mail to JCK. "The quote was totally taken out of proportion."
He added he is releasing a statement that will "clear the air" on this matter by the end of the week.
A Kimberley Process review mission visited Zimbabwe last week after reports of human rights abuses in the country’s diamond fields.
Background on this issue is here.
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