II. Recommendations
To the Government of Zimbabwe
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Immediately end all human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields, including
killings, beatings, forced labor, child labor, and torture.
Remove the army from Marange district, demilitarize the diamond industry, and
restore security responsibilities to the police, but ensure that the police abide by
international law enforcement standards governing use of lethal force and illegal
searches. Further to this, the government of Zimbabwe should, set up a local police
oversight committee to monitor police compliance with basic human rights and
international law enforcement standards.
Launch an impartial and independent investigation into alleged human rights
abuses, smuggling of diamonds, and corruption. Hold accountable all soldiers and
police implicated in these abuses, irrespective of their seniority.
End diamond smuggling, urgently resolve the outstanding legal questions of control
and title to the Marange diamond fields, and ensure that only licensed miners are
permitted to mine and that all buyers of diamonds are properly licensed in
compliance with the requirements of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
Fully cooperate with KPCS investigation teams or review missions and ensure full
compliance with KPCS rules and requirements.
Put in place mechanisms to ensure greater revenue transparency from diamond
mining and ensure that the Marange community benefits directly from the mining of
diamonds in their area. This may be achieved by regularizing diamond mining to
stem smuggling, licensing local miners, taxing them, and redistributing a portion of
their revenue to the local community.
Ensure that, in the event that relocation of the local community around the diamond
fields is found to be necessary and in the public interest, based on thorough
consultation with affected communities, such relocation fully complies with national
and international human rights standards.
To the Government of South Africa
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Actively support calls for a broader inclusion of human rights in the mandate of the
KPCS to ensure that any systematic human rights violations in the diamond industry
of a KPCS participant result in that country’s suspension and ultimate expulsion from
the KPCS.
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Human Rights Watch | June 2009