Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LONDON155
2009-01-21 14:58:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy London
Cable title:  

ZIMBABWE: UK SEEKS TO CURB DIAMOND EXPORTS

Tags:  PREL EMIN UNSC ZU ZI UK 
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VZCZCXRO1575
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHMR RUEHNP RUEHRN RUEHROV
RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUEHLO #0155 0211458
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211458Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0987
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY 0173
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 0117
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1208
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000155 

SIPDIS

DEPART FOR AF/S
DEPART ALSO FOR EEB/ESC/IEC - BROOKS-RUBIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PREL EMIN UNSC ZU ZI UK
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: UK SEEKS TO CURB DIAMOND EXPORTS

REF: A. 09 HARARE 24

B. 08 HARARE 1035

C. 08 HARARE 1016

Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, reasons 1.4 (b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000155

SIPDIS

DEPART FOR AF/S
DEPART ALSO FOR EEB/ESC/IEC - BROOKS-RUBIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2019
TAGS: PREL EMIN UNSC ZU ZI UK
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE: UK SEEKS TO CURB DIAMOND EXPORTS

REF: A. 09 HARARE 24

B. 08 HARARE 1035

C. 08 HARARE 1016

Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) FCO Minister for Africa Mark Malloch-Brown has
instructed the Foreign Office to push the Kimberley Process
(KP) to investigate Zimbabwe's KP eligibility and issue a
statement about Zimbabwe's trafficking of conflict diamonds
(reftels). In the interim because KP "is so slow,"
Malloch-Brown has requested NGOs like Global Witness and
Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) be approached to do research
and reporting on the situation, FCO Zimbabwe Desk Officer
Tracy Walton said on January 15. Walton recommended that the
USG and HMG lobby the KP in a "separate but coordinated"
manner to see a statement issued as soon as possible. Walton
noted that the EU was considering a ban on the import of
Zimbabwe diamonds, but said that Belgium had mounted
opposition. According to Walton, Belgium was amiable to UN
-- not EU -- sanctions because Belgium did not want any
country in the world to trade the diamonds if Belgium could
not. Walton also said the Czech Republic, in its capacity as
the EU President, had been very active in the discussions.
HMG sees Russia as the biggest obstacle in the UN to
implementing sanctions. China, Walton assessed, is
"uninterested" in the diamonds but appears to be distancing
itself from the Mugabe regime.


2. (C) Discussing the mechanism of how the diamonds
circumvent the KP, Walton said the Democratic Republic of
Congo is the "biggest weakness." According to HMG
assessments, mining in the DRC has decreased by 80 percent
with the renewed conflict in the East, but the DRC's diamond
exports have increased over 100 percent.


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