Mugabe's heavy tactics to stay in gem market

Zimbabwe looks set to escape any punishment over its trade in blood diamonds after a ruthless lobbying campaign by Robert Mugabe's regime that included intimidation of a key witness at an international summit in Namibia.

The member states of the Kimberley Process, the system set up to regulate the diamond trade, had been expected to use this week's meeting to impose an export ban on Zimbabwe after evidence of gross human rights abuses at its diamond fields.

However, campaigners fear that Zimbabwe will be let off in a move that could damage the credibility of the ground-breaking effort to sever the link between gems and violent conflict in Africa.

Harare intimidated Farai Maguwu, a campaigner from the mining district in eastern Zimbabwe, who travelled to the Windhoek summit to give evidence. Maguwu, who runs the Centre for Research and Development in Mutare, said: "My presence here didn't go down too well with them and they've had me followed."

His organisation has been compiling evidence of wrongdoing in Marange, an area taken over by the military since major alluvial diamond deposits were found there in 2006.

The slaughter by the Army of hundreds of itinerant miners drew worldwide condemnation last year. "There are strong people making money out of diamonds and they want to silence me," said Maguwu.

The researcher was summoned to a meeting with Zimbabwe's ambassador to Namibia where he says he faced hysterical accusations.

"He was screaming at me and calling me names, saying I was trying to please white people, saying I don't love my country ... He's paid by the people who are looting our country. No one's paying me to be here," he said.

The Kimberley safeguards agreed in 2003 helped to restore consumer confidence in precious gems. But this year one of the architects of the KP, Ian Smillie, quit the scheme saying it was "letting all manner of crooks off the hook".

Kimberley members agreed to send a mission to Zimbabwe last year after reports of abuse in the Marange fields. The delegation found evidence of a string of gross violations.

The summit ends tomorrow. Yesterday Zimbabwe was referred to an oversight committee, the last step before any action would be taken.

"It's been a small victory as at least there will now be a discussion," a source said. "But the likelihood remains that no action will be taken."

- INDEPENDENT