Zimbabwe Diamonds High on KP Windhoek Meeting Agenda

by Admin on September 24th, 2009

ZIMBABWE’S diamond trade will no doubt feature high on the agenda of the three-day Intersessional Meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which began yesterday, with the opening remarks of chairperson Bernard Esau setting the tone for this.

The Kimberley Process is a joint government, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of and prevent trade in conflict diamonds, and is this year being chaired by Namibia.

With this criticism, much is also expected of Namibia, with Alfred Brownwell of Green Advocates - one of the seven signatories - saying: “Namibia was a founding member of the Kimberley Process and as Chair of the scheme should be a leader in ensuring an effective and efficient diamond certification system.

“The Kimberley Process must be a force for development in Africa’s diamond-rich nations and take a clear stand against human rights abuses.”

At the opening of the Intersessional Meeting yesterday, Zimbabwe formed a major part of Esau’s opening remarks, with the Chairperson, Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy Bernhard Esau, stating that “there are still gaps that can be strengthened in order to curb the central inflow of illicit diamonds that are being illegally exported from Zimbabwe”.

Esau said in achieving the KPCS’s aim to curb illicit trade, “we need to continue strengthening the security system and improve our internal controls”.

Earlier this year, Esau led a delegation to Zimbabwe to engage authorities there, and after the visit, issued a statement noting that “the KP expresses growing concerns at the reports of violence and indications of smuggling in the Marange mining area,” and has “stepped up international efforts to prevent the laundering of those diamonds.”

To this end, Esau yesterday reported that “all participants as well as the public were informed on the situation on KP’s awareness on the matter. Strategies and actions were drawn up to tackle these issues within the KP fraternity.

“A call for regional co-operation has been emphasised and technical assistance has been requested in this regard, and these matters will be followed up by the Secretariat.”

Civil society groups are, however, calling for a ban on Zimbabwe’s diamond trade, with Partnership Africa Canada earlier saying that “when regulators fail to regulate, systems collapse and the people they are designed to protect suffer”.

A review mission to Zimbabwe is expected to take place next week, after the Intersessional meeting, which ends tomorrow. The meeting has allocated a session for this morning solely for the discussion of the Zimbabwean diamond industry.

Another concern noted in the Chairperson’s speech was the issue of fake KP Certificates.

Esau noted that “the recent fake Guinean and Namibian certificates in the trade show that more approaches to deal with this specific issue are needed,” adding that a consistent approach to dealing with the problem was necessary.

“Participants and the public at large have been warned about these activities and guidance on detecting shipments with fake certificates have been made available,” Esau said, while providing a full progress report on the work that Namibia has done so far in its term as Chair of the KPCS.

Diamonds are Botsawana’s Best Friend

by Admin on September 24th, 2009

The Diamond Empowerment Fund has brought us to Botswana to show us how the diamond industry has changed the life of the Botswana people. I used to assume after watching the movie Blood Diamonds that diamonds were not acceptable to buy from Africa. However, it is the complete opposite! When diamonds are purchased, the whole country can survive! In Botswana there used to be 10 schools but the diamond industry has now funded 300 schools!

We went into the largest diamond mine! It was huge! The trucks they use to carry the diamonds are 6 million dollars, and each tire is $70,000! How crazy is that?! Look at how small we look in comparison to the tire! We saw all the raw diamonds and the process they have to go through in order to get them ready to be delivered to stores! Thank you for that amazing experience!

Blood diamonds continue to flow

by Admin on September 23rd, 2009

In the ongoing battle to prevent diamonds being used to fuel and fund conflicts around the world, diamond-producing nations are meeting for a three day conference in Namibia this week to review global efforts to curb the flow of so-called ‘blood diamonds’.

A scheme called the Kimberley Process, named after a South African mining town, was launched in 2003 to encourage member-countries to certify their rough diamonds are ‘conflict free’ when they enter the main market. 

‘Conflict free’

Essentially the Kimberley Process (KP) seeks to ensure that, for example, a couple seeking out the perfect wedding ring can be sure that it has not come from a country where the blood of conflict has been left clinging to the diamond sparkling on the bride-to-be’s finger.

“Our aim is to curb the flow of illicit trade and we must continue to strengthen the security system and improve our internal controls” said the group’s chairman Bernhard Esau at the opening ceremony in Namibia’s capital Windhoek on Tuesday.

A joint government, industry and civil society initiative, the KP now has 49 members representing 75 countries. Their aim is to stop rough diamonds being used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. Sierra Leone, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) are just some of the countries where illicit trade in the gems has fuelled decades of devastating conflicts. 

Now questions are being raised about the efficacy of the Kimberley Process.

Effective process

Rights group Global Witness, one of the key drivers in establishing the KP, is attending the conference in Namibia and asking difficult questions about the continued smuggling of rough diamonds from Cote d’Ivoire and also an alleged massacre of 150 illegal miners in Zimbabwe late last year. 

Britain-based Global Witness tries to monitor the exploitation of human resources and human rights in the diamond mining and selling process, and according to spokeswoman Annie Dunnebacke “The clock is running out on the Kimberley Process’ credibility. The work it was set up to do is vital – it would be scandalous if uncooperative governments and industry succeeded in hobbling it into ineffectiveness”.

Three main issues

“The KP is failing on three main issues, firstly it is not effectively addressing instances of non compliance in its participant members; there is also a significant illicit trade in rough diamonds that are circumventing KP process controls, and there also instances of government sponsored human rights abuses in KP members which we feel the KP should not endorse”

Dunnebacke says that Global Witness is particularly concerned about the situation in Cote d’Ivoire where mining is increasing in the north of the country and diamonds are being smuggled out and reaching international consumers. 

“We are also very concerned about the mining fields of Marange in eastern Zimbabwe. There is heavy militarisation of diamond mining, so there is not just miltary control but actual involvement and profiting from the mining. There was also the [alleged] massacre of several hundreds of illegal miners there last year.”

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses banned the sale of diamonds from Marange in April last year but KP has not taken a similar stand.

Tightening controls

Dunnebacke continues: “In the case of Cote d’ Ivoire we are asking the KP to tighten its control in neighbouring countries and try to address the trade flows that are facilitating the purchase of these diamonds”

She says that Zimbabwe remains a full participant in the KP and that a review mission team will be in Zimbabwe next week. “We are calling on the Zimbabwean government to allow that team full, unfettered and transparent access to all stakeholders that the team wants to interview. But we are also calling on the KP to clarify its approach to human rights.”

While civil society may be keen to see a higher level of engagement from its members in the KP, the question remains how can a couple on the look out for that perfect diamond ring be sure it is ‘conflict free’?

“The wars that were funded by the sale of diamonds in various parts of Africa have now mostly ended. Following that, the KP did provide a much greater degree of regulation for the diamond industry. It has changed things but unfortunately loopholes remain. Weakness in internal controls and certain participant countries also remain. That means that consumers are still unable to be sure they are buying a clean diamond when they go to the high street”. 

Conflict Diamonds And The Kimberley Process

by Admin on September 22nd, 2009

As the world’s most concentrated, portable and anonymous form of wealth, diamonds make an ideal vehicle to launder money from and raise money for criminal and terrorist operations. Throughout the 1990s, murderous rebel factions in Angola and Sierra Leone used their country’s diamond riches to buy arms and wage war against legitimate governments.

These illicit gems became known as “conflict diamonds” and the jewelry industry was taken to task by human rights groups for not doing enough to stem the flow of these stones. The criticisms were justified. At one point, it was estimated that at least 15% of the world’s rough diamonds were coming from rebel groups in Africa and being used to fund weapons procurement which, in turn, prolonged brutal wars.

As the media began to publicize atrocities by rebel groups selling conflict diamonds, there were calls for diamond boycotts in Europe and America. The trouble with such actions was that diamonds also contributed to the prosperity and development of African countries like Botswana and Namibia. So boycotts would have done as much, if not more, harm than good.

The gnawing question remained: How should the diamond industry deal with conflict diamonds?

In May 2000, the government of South Africa proposed a plan to stop the traffic in conflict diamonds using a certification process that would give assurance that diamonds did not originate in areas controlled by forces trying to overthrow internationally recognized governments. By certifying that a diamond came from a legitimate origin, rebel bands would be unable to sell contraband diamonds and eventually be starved of the funds needed to perpetuate civil wars. This, it was hoped, would lead to peace in diamond-producing regions. It would also assure consumers that the diamonds they were buying were free of political taint.

Called the “Kimberley Process” (after South Africa’s famous Kimberley diamond mine), the plan was adopted - in principle at least - by the United Nations in December 2000. It took two more years to work out the kinks and persuade 50 or so governments (one of them America) with either or both diamond processing and consumption sectors to sign on. In January 2003, the Kimberley Process took effect. Here’s how it works:

Each of the signatory countries allows only imports of documented rough diamonds that can be traced back to legitimate sources. Those diamond rough shipments that fail to meet Kimberly certification requirements are refused entry. One of those requirements is for importers to affirm in writing on each invoice that the diamonds they accompany are bought from legitimate sources and in compliance with UN resolutions. If such a declaration is missing from an invoice, purchasers are to cancel the transaction.

After diamonds proved in accordance with the Kimberley Process are admitted into a country and converted into polished stones, governmental control stops and a voluntary process of industry self-regulation begins. This consists primarily of affirming in writing at every stage of wholesale distribution that diamonds are not conflict diamonds. Even secondhand diamonds should be certified as nonconflict.

The Kimberley Process ends one step shy of the retail counter. Present provisions leave declarations of a diamond’s legitimacy as to origin a voluntary matter. Consumers can request such written warranties from their suppliers, but sellers don’t have to make them. Given all the steps that have been taken beforehand to assure the public that diamonds are legitimate, this is very understandable.

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Blood diamond scheme ‘is failing’

by Admin on September 22nd, 2009

The Kimberley Process certification scheme, which aims to stop the use of diamonds to fund conflict, is failing, according to a campaign group.

Global Witness pointed to the smuggling of diamonds from Ivory Coast and an alleged massacre of diamond diggers by the military in Zimbabwe last year.

The rights group, which lobbied to set up the scheme in 2003, says it is not being adequately enforced.

Officials are meeting in Namibia to review the Kimberley Process.

Namibia is hosting the three-day conference in Windhoek because it currently heads the scheme.

Participants in the Kimberley Process are forced to certify the origin of any diamond being traded.

This seeks to assure consumers that by purchasing diamonds they are not financing war and human rights abuses.

‘Raised eyebrows’

But late last year reports emerged in Zimbabwe of a military-led slaughter of up to 150 miners in the eastern Marange diamond fields.

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses in April banned the sale of diamonds from Marange, but Kimberley did not.

From Windhoek, Annie Dunnebacke, a spokeswoman for London-based Global Witness, told the BBC’s Network Africa programme: “This is not something the Kimberley Process can stand by and accept from one of its participants.”

She also said statistical anomalies were being reported by signatories.

“According to the Kimberley Process, Guinea’s [diamond] exports have increased by around 500% in the past two years, which obviously raises eyebrows and raises questions,” she said.

The campaigner noted there was significant illicit cross-border movement of precious stones between Sierra Leone and Guinea.

She also said that in Ivory Coast - which is due to hold elections in November following a bloody civil war in 2002 that was partly funded by conflict diamonds - production of the stones appeared to be increasing and they continued to be smuggled out to reach legitimate markets, despite UN sanctions.

“The clock is running out on Kimberley Process credibility,” Ms Dunnebacke added.

Bernhard Esau, the Namibian deputy minister of mines and current chairman of the Kimberley Process, said “gaps can be strengthened” over enforcing the scheme in Zimbabwe.

But he also insisted Kimberley had been “hands on with regard to the illicit diamonds from Marange”.

The Kimberley Process emerged from global outrage over conflicts in countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone, largely funded by the plundering of diamond resources.

Conflict-free diamond mining and other oxymora

by Admin on September 22nd, 2009

A summit of the Kimberley Process (KP), a government, commercial, and civil society initiative that aims to keep the global diamond trade from funding illegitimate wars, is grappling with the issue of non-compliance amongst its members. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPSC), an extensive set of requirements used to determine the ‘conflict-free’ status of diamond shipments, has fallen into disrepute over the years. As one of the signatories of the original 2003 accord, and current chair of the organization, Namibia is under a considerable amount of pressure from civil society groups to restore credibility to the process. A joint statement released by seven of these groups decries the prevalence of smuggling, money laundering and human rights abuses in the diamond industry. Alfred Brownwell, of Green Advocates, believes “[Namibia] should be a leader in ensuring an effective and efficient diamond certification system.”

For starters, it will have to decide what punitive measures to take in response to an alleged massacre of around 150 workers in Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields last year. Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Bernhard Esau, who is presiding over the three-day conference, addressed the issue in his opening remarks when he said they needed “to curb the central inflow of illicit diamonds that are being illegally exported from Zimbabwe.” The Zimbabwean contingent later delivered a report on the state of affairs at the Marange mine, which Esau followed up with a call for “regional co-operation” and “technical assistance” from its member states, including the United States and various European countries, in meeting the coalition’s objectives.

Interestingly enough, Zimbabwe’s Mines and Mining Development minister, Obert Mpofu, was recently denied a visa by the UK government to attend a conference where he was scheduled to deliver a speech on mining opportunities in the African nation; another failed attempt by President Robert Mugabe to bolster Zimbabwe’s faltering economy. This in the same week that his country’s prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, was allowed to tour the world, supplicating Western leaders for much-needed funds. It is noteworthy that Mpofu belongs to President Mugabe’s Zanu PF party while Tsvangirai is a member of the opposition MDC; the British Foreign Office has confirmed that Mpofu is indeed one of the senior Zimbabwean government officials subject to an EU travel ban. True, Tsvangirai was accompanied by Tourism Minister, Walter Mzembi, also of Zanu PF, but Mzembi was shunned by the White House, and told he couldn’t meet President Obama. AllAfrica.com’s Lance Guma says, “The move infuriated Mugabe’s party, who accused the US of bias towards the MDC.” Yet, despite being favored, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai only managed to raise a fraction of the $8bn his country needs to resuscitate its economy; the United States and other Western nations insist on holding back aid till major reforms are implemented in Zimbabwe.

So Tsvangirai, the beggar who would be president, returns virtually empty-handed to fight the dictator with whom he shares power. Surely he’s becoming accustomed to the paradoxes, but it would be foolish to get used to the idea of  ‘no strings attached-aid’. As for the diamond trade, Kimberly Process or not, Western nations will be expecting a return on their investment, and, at the risk of escalating a conflict, might have to step in to make sure Tsvangirai’s strings are still connected.

Cross-border diamond deals sidestep Kimberley Process

by Admin on September 21st, 2009

Signatories to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) - an international initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds - restated their commitment to the scheme at the close of a three-day meeting in Namibia on 26 June, but campaigners warned that more action, not talk, was needed now.

“There were some useful discussions … [but] it is not possible to be more positive unless governments take concrete action,” said Amy Barry, spokesperson for Global Witness (GW), a UK-based NGO that seeks to prevent the use of natural resources to fuel conflict, and a prime mover in setting up the KPCS.

The cooperative effort by government, industry and civil society imposes extensive requirements on its members before allowing them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as “conflict-free”.

But discontent in civil society organizations has grown steadily since the scheme was launched in January 2003, that not enough was being done to stampout the illicit stones, also called ‘blood diamonds’.

“In theory there are structures in place; it is now a question of political will in implementing them,” commented Elly Harrowell, assistant campaigner at GW.

Loopholes

A statement by a coalition of civil society organizations, including GW, Partnership Africa Canada, and Green Advocates, called on governments to “translate the positive discussions … into strong commitments and concrete actions to close the loopholes that continue to compromise the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process.”

In particular, they emphasized the need for KPCS signatory governments and working groups to investigate statistical anomalies and illicit cross-border trade between participants more promptly.

“We urge participant governments to strengthen internal controls and improve monitoring systems in producing countries, but also in trading and cutting and polishing centres,” said Susanne Emond of Partnership Africa Canada.

According to GW’s Harrowell, information on the flow of stones into and out of major cutting and polishing centres, like Surat in India and Antwerp in Belgium, was still very limited, creating a possible entry point for conflict diamonds into the legitimate multimillion-dollar market. “Once just one side of a diamond is polished it is no longer covered by the KPCS,” she pointed out.

First test

A significant concern ahead of the meeting was the need for KPCS participant governments “to address cases of serious non-compliance by some members; in particular, campaigners sounded the alarm about the human rights abuses, militarization of mining and diamond smuggling taking place in Zimbabwe’s diamond sector.”

Human Rights Watch, an international watchdog, published a report on 26 June that claimed massive human rights violations were taking place in Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields.

The report documented how the police and army used force “to control access to the diamond fields, and to take over unlicensed diamond mining and trading”. President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party was accused of profiting from the alleged abuses. A KPCS team is visiting the country to probe the alleged illegal diamond trade.

GW’s Annie Dunnebacke said, “We sincerely hope that the upcoming Kimberley Process review mission to Zimbabwe is given unfettered access to the sites and people it needs to see. We urge the government … to fulfil its pledge to guarantee the safety of all individuals and groups.”

“Blood Diamonds” and How to Avoid Buying Illicit Gems

by Admin on September 21st, 2009

Growing awareness that a diamond’s luster may hide an illicit past is adding another “C”—conflict—into the lexicon of gem buyers already accustomed to gauging color, cut, clarity, and carat.

“Conflict diamonds,” also known as blood diamonds, are those sold to fund armed conflict and civil war. Human rights organizations link more than four million deaths and millions more displaced people to the trade in conflict diamonds.

The new Leondardo DiCaprio movie Blood Diamond highlights the role that the illicit diamond trade played in the chaotic 1990s civil war in the African nation of Sierra Leone (see Sierra Leone map.)

The stones also funded armed conflicts in Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (See Africa map.)

Today the illicit diamond trade is believed to fund armed conflict in Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and may finance terrorists groups such as al Qaeda.

(Watch video: “‘Blood Diamonds’ Leave Costly Legacy in Africa”.)

Clean Diamonds?

The diamond industry is eager to assure consumers they can confidently purchase one of the precious gems knowing its history is untainted by bloodshed and war.

“We have to start by knowing that 99.8 percent of all diamonds coming into the market are conflict free,” said Eli Izhakoff, Chairman and CEO of the New York-based World Diamond Council.

“Everybody agrees on that percentage.”

The figure stems a government-to-government certification plan set up in 2003 called the Kimberley Process that requires all diamonds transported across borders to be accompanied by a certificate that they did not fund conflict.

Member countries are banned from trading with nonmembers.

In addition the diamond industry voluntarily includes a warranty on the invoice of every diamond sold stating it is conflict free, Izhakoff said.

The warranties follow the stones from the mine to the factories to the retail stores.

“Those are traceable, making it possible for retailers to give assurance the stone they’re selling is conflict free,” he said.

But human rights organizations are quick to point out weaknesses in the Kimberley Process that allow conflict diamonds into the international market.

Recent reports by the United Nations and the U.S. government found that an estimated 23 million U.S. dollars’ worth of diamonds from Côte D’Ivoire may have been smuggled into the legitimate trade.

Evidence suggests the diamonds are taken into neighboring Ghana, where they are certified as Kimberley Process compliant, according to the Washington D.C.-based advocacy organization Global Witness.

“On the consumer side there’s no way to be sure that the diamonds they’re buying are conflict free,” said Corinna Gilfillan of Global Witness, which has campaigned against conflict diamonds since 1998.

The organization is urging the U.S. to strengthen and enforce a trade act that implements the Kimberley Process as the best way to ensure the diamond trade is 100 percent conflict free. It is also calling for independent verification of the industry warranty system.

Consumer Tips

Until industry self-policing and international law keep all illicit stones off the market, human rights and diamond- industry organizations are telling consumers to ask their jewelers a series of questions about their wares.

Suggested questions:

• Do you know where your diamonds come from?

• Can I see a copy of your company’s policy on conflict diamonds?

• Can you show me a written guarantee from your diamond suppliers stating that your diamonds are conflict free?

• How can I be sure that none of your jewelry contains conflict diamonds?

If the jeweler is unable to produce the paperwork or otherwise prove the diamonds are conflict free, “the consumer shouldn’t buy from that store,” Izhakoff said.

A more robust system, Gilfillan noted, is to augment the paperwork with technologies such as laser engraving and optical signatures to track every stone individually, “but we are not there yet.”

A Washington D.C.-based organization called the Conflict Free Diamond Council has established a set of strict guidelines to guarantee a diamond is 100 percent clean, including laser engraving and ensuring that its entire production was conducted within one country.

So far only one government’s diamond certification program—that of the Northwest Territories Province in Canada—meets the organization’s standards.

WFDB Calls on Kimberley Process to Release Zimbabwe Report

by Admin on September 18th, 2009

The executive committee of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has called upon the Kimberley Process (KP) to release its much-anticipated report and recommendations about the Zimbabwe diamond mining sector as soon as possible. The WFDB executive committee met at the London Diamond Bourse on Monday, September 7, 2009.
 
A KP review team visited Zimbabwe in August, during which it met with senior government and mining officials, and visited the Marange diamond fields, where there have been reports of human rights violations and illegal diamond mining and trading activities.
 
“We have been following the situation in Zimbabwe with considerable concern,” said WFDB president Avi Paz on behalf of the executive committee, “and we discussed the situation in the country at length. We fully support the efforts of the Kimberley Process to arrive at a solution that first and foremost defends the safety and well being of Zimbabwe citizens living in those areas where diamonds are located and at the same time, abides by the principle that their long-term economic and social welfare will be best served by the proper and ethical use of Zimbabwe’s diamond resources.”
 
“Given the uncertainty that currently exists regarding the situation in Zimbabwe, we call upon the Kimberley Process to expedite the release of its report and recommendations. The WFDB will do all that it can to support the efforts of the Kimberley Process to bring about a successful resolution of the situation,” said the WFDB president. 

Final KPCS report in govt hands

by Admin on September 18th, 2009

The Zimbabwean army are to be held to account for alleged human rights violations perpetrated during the policing of the diamond trade. A UN-backed body working for the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) has raised concerns over the illegal activity surrounding the diamond industry in Zimbabwe. Their recent investigative delegation found evidence of killings and forced labour at the mining fields in Marange. The team’s final report was reviewed by the Wall Street journal and has been submitted to the Zimbabwean government. According to the World Diamond Council, Zimbabwe contributes 0.4 per cent of the global diamond trade. Suspension of trade would not therefore have much effect on the world diamond trade but would, however, negatively impact one of Zimbabwe’s few sources of foreign currency.
30 days to respond
The government has 30 days to respond to the report. Judging by the Home Affairs Minister, Giles Mutsekwa’s, reaction to the situation in Marange which he labelled ‘disturbing,’ it is hopeful that the government will move quickly to address the issue. The World Diamond Council has said that if the government did not urgently address the situation, they would have no hesitation in backing their suspension from the Kimberly Process. The spokesperson for De Beers Group SA, David Prager, said that the major diamond vendor had notified its clients not to buy diamonds from Zimbabwe. So far, Zimbabwe has maintained its coveted Kimberley Process certification. Fulfilling the requirements allows member countries to certify their rough diamonds are “conflict-free.” The suspension of Zimbabwe from the Kimberley Process could make it more difficult for the country to export rough stones, endangering a major source of foreign exchange at a time when its leaders are attempting to woo foreign investors, and the economy is struggling amid political turmoil.
According to the final Kimberley Process’s report, the police and army are implicated in using violence to police the diamond fields and remove illegal panners from the area. “The team heard accounts of beatings of men and women by the security forces, and saw wounds and scars from dog-bites and batons,” the report said. “The victims included women who reported that, while under the custody of the security forces, they were raped repeatedly by military officers.” The final report confirmed allegations made by a previous Kimberly Process investigation team in July 2009 that there had been civilian deaths in the Marange diamond fields.
Human rights groups have expressed concern throughout the investigations that the process was moving too slowly. Human Rights Watch estimated that 200 people had been killed in the mining fields and that government officials who had moved into the area were making a profit from the miners who remained in the area. Bernard Esau, the Kimberley Process chairman, said he was “concerned about the speed of the process,” but that the group had to follow established procedures.