DRC: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON ILLICIT DIAMOND

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001108 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2018 TAGS: PREL ETRD ECON EFIN ASEC ZI SUBJECT: DRC: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON ILLICIT DIAMOND ACTIVITY IN ZIMBABWE REF: STATE 126054 Classified By: CCORKEY for Reasons 1.4 (b) (d) ¶1. (C) Econoff delivered reftel demarche on December 11 to Mr. Paul Mabolia Yenga, Kimberley Process Coordinator at the GDRC Ministry of Mines. Mabolia said the GDRC, as a member of the Kimberley Process (KP),is aware of its responsibilities to ensure that diamonds do not enter the international diamond trade through the DRC's Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). He noted this would not be the first time Zimbabwean diamonds passed through the DRC to other countries, referring to the 2007 KP Review report of diamonds smuggled from the Marange area to South Africa and the DRC. Mabolia said the size of the DRC and the GDRC's lack of capacity to control its borders make it very difficult for the customs and law enforcement agencies to prevent illegal exports of any kind. Mabolia said the KP needs more cooperation and controls from the importing countries because the international airports in the DRC simply do not have the technology or ability to intercept illegal diamonds. ¶2. (C) Mabolia said that of the 137 official buyers working for the eight comptoirs, the foreign diamond buyers in the DRC are responsible for most of the illicit diamond smuggling, specifically naming the Indian, Lebanese, and Israeli buyers. Mabolia attributed this accusation to the difficulty Congolese face in obtaining visas and the cost of air travel, prohibitive to most Congolese. Mabolia said he has seen no recent indications of an increase in attempts to certify illicit diamonds by the eight DRC comptoirs, but said he would forward all of the information and suggestions both to the Minister of Mines and to CEEC, the authority with responsibility for implementation of the KPCS. Post will report any subsequent reactions from the Ministry of Mines or CEEC. BROCK