Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting ends in confusion.(Trade Notes)

The Intersessional Meeting of the Kimberley Process held in late June ended inconclusively with the notification by the KP Chair Mathieu Yamba that he would allow exports of rough diamonds by the two main firms operating in Zimbabwe's controversial Marange region. The decision was opposed by the United States, the European Union and Canada, who questioned its legitimacy saying it was not in line with KP rules requiring consensus decisions.

Yamba said Marange Resources, which was known as Canadile Mining and is wholly owned by the Zimbabwe government, and Mbada Diamonds, a joint venture between the Zimbabwe government, and Grandwell Holdings of South Africa would be allowed to …