The discovery of the torture camp comes as the European Union plans to lift partially the trade ban of diamonds from the Marange region which was imposed by the Kimberly Process (KP), the international organisation that polices diamonds, in 2009. The ban was part of a plan to ban “blood diamonds” from the world market. According to internal documents the EU is of the opinion that two key mines in the area now meet international standards.
The KP, which visited the area in May 2010, claims to have no knowledge of a torture camp. Witnesses have told the BBC that the camp is run by the state’s military and the police. It has supposedly been designed for workers who demand higher wages and civilians caught mining for themselves.
BBC News: Marange diamond field: Zimbabwe torture camp discovered
