By Tova Cohen
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Monitoring the sale of diamonds from Zimbabwe will be the focus of a meeting of diamond trade regulators in Tel Aviv next month, a leading Israeli diamond industry official said.
Rights groups, which accuse Zimbabwe's security forces of widespread atrocities to prevent thousands of people illegally mining on poorly secured fields in the east of the country, have been pushing for a ban on Zimbabwean diamonds.
"The first issue on the table is Zimbabwe and how to handle the crisis," Eli Avidar, managing director of the Israel Diamond Institute, told Reuters on Monday.
"There are two schools of thought. Non-governmental organisations support being tough but others support working with Zimbabwe, saying boycotting won't help."
Israel is hosting next month's talks as chair of the Kimberley Process -- a certification scheme set up to monitor diamond trades following wars financed by the gems.
Last month a high court in Zimbabwe ruled the government could sell diamonds from its controversial Marange fields. British-based industry group Global Witness said Zimbabwe has not yet complied with a plan agreed with the Kimberley Process to reform diamond mining operations.
President Robert Mugabe has accused Western countries of working to stop Zimbabwe from benefiting from its mineral resources but said the government will press ahead with controversial plans for foreign-owned companies, including mines, to cede majority stakes to locals.
Avidar said the Kimberley Process will seek to appoint an official regulator who will be in Zimbabwe to ensure the government adheres to the process. Link
