Zimbabwe is facing calls to be suspended from the international diamond trade, following allegations of brutality by its soldiers, states BBC. Rights groups are lobbying members of the Kimberly Process, the body which regulates the trade in rough diamonds, to halt exports from the nation. Activists say soldiers killed about 200 people at a diamond field, but the government has denied the claims. Human Rights Watch insists the Kimberly Process should ensure diamonds are not mined in areas where human rights are being abused. Mugabe sympathisers argue that the Kimberly Process is meant to ensure diamond profits are not used to fund conflict and therefore Zimbabwe should not be banned. Some analysts argue that even if Zimbabwe were suspended, it would be almost impossible to prevent all the diamonds which are mined illegally from reaching the international market.
