via US will insist on clean diamonds: Wharton | The Zimbabwean by Brenna Matendere 21.11.13
The United States will insist on clean diamonds from the Marange fields and will continue to strongly oppose corruption and underhand dealings at the fields, says diplomat Bruce Wharton.
In an interview on the sidelines of a tour of the Nalatale ruins, awarded a US$64,000 revival grant, Wharton said the States still believed there were illegal activities around the mining of Zimbabwean alluvial diamonds at Marange.
The remarks come at a time when Farai Maguwu, the executive director of the Centre for National Resources Development, lambasted the Kimberly Process for helping the Zimbabwean government deceive the international community into thinking the Marange diamonds were conflict-free.
“We, as the US, will insist on having the diamonds from Marange clean of any illegalities before they can go on the international market. However, we will not try to impose our position on the European Union,” said Wharton.
The diplomat also warned companies trading in Zimbabwean diamonds to avoid using the US financial systems in their deals.
“If companies attempt to do business with Zimbabwe’s diamonds through the US financial system, US laws will apply and the proceeds will be frozen,” he said.
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