United States checks on ‘clean’ diamonds

A group of US congressmen and women, hosted by the Botswana government, arrived in the capital, Gaborone, on Monday as part of the country’s campaign to prove that its diamonds do not include so-called conflict gems, Sapa reported.

During a meeting with government ministers, private sector companies and officials of Botswana’s diamond producer, Debswana, the group heard that Botswana, with its almost 100 percent economic reliance on diamond revenues, condemned those producers who sold diamonds to fund wars. Debswana is a 50/50 partnership between De Beers and the Botswana government.

Chairman of the Botswana Confederation of Industry, Management and Manpower, Tshipa Mothibatsela, was quoted as saying: “Botswana never knew conflict and we do not expect it any time in the future. Botswana never undertook military actions of any sort except peacekeeping. Our people were never political prisoners nor political refugees. Our private sector and political opposition voice their opinions of government policies without fear or favour.”

US consumers account for 50 percent of the diamond jewellery market. Congressman Bill Jefferson of Louisiana said the United States should be careful of how it dealt with the issue. “We must be careful how we undertake our work to remove conflict diamonds from the scene, we must not harm those countries such as Botswana which rely on diamond revenues,” he was quoted as saying.

Jefferson, one of the early promoters of the US Africa Growth and Opportunity Act added: “My work to develop the Act was a point of my public service of which I am very proud.” Congressman Donald Payne of New Jersey, also a member of the delegation and one of the early promoters of the Act, said the Clinton administration saw the tremendous opportunities for US government and business partnerships with Africa. “This led to a new US focus on Africa. We saw that Africa did not want aid, it wanted partners,” Payne was quoted as saying.