- Botswana wants to host the Kimberley Process Secretariat despite interest from China and Austria.
- President Mkgweetsi Masisi has emphasised the importance of Botswana in the global diamond economy.
- The biggest diamond found in Botswana was bought by French fashion house Louis Vuitton in 2020.
Botswana is currently lobbying European Union (EU) member states to back the country’s bid to host the Kimberley Process (KP) Secretariat in Gaborone ahead of China and Austria who have also shown an interest. This emerged from a meeting between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Philippe Michel-Kleisbauer, president of the Botswana-France National Friendship Group on Tuesday at his offices.
“Allow us to develop our resources, persuade other EU countries not to extract the resources here and have them managed in Europe. We find it not consistent with the values that it expresses so I want to plead with you to support Botswana’s bid to host the Kimberley Process Secretariat,” Masisi said to Michel-Kleisbauer.
When southern African diamond-producing countries met in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000, to stop the trade in “conflict diamonds” and ensure diamond purchases were not financing violence by rebel movements and their allies seeking to undermine legitimate governments, they came up with the KP process. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was then set up in 2003. Austria and China had both shown interest in hosting the KP secretariat. EU countries participated in the KP under the umbrella of the EU as a single participant. They offered a uniform EU KP certificate for diamonds verified by Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, Romania, and Italy. Austria played a cameo role despite interest in hosting the secretariat.
For that, Masisi said Botswana – the current KP chair on a rotational basis and deputised by Zimbabwe – deserved to be considered ahead of Austria.
“Austria has no diamonds. The significance of Botswana diamonds on the economy is unlike any in the world; diamonds mean everything to us. Every good story you have heard about Botswana is predicated on the production, safe selling and responsible utilisation of diamonds,” he said.
Botswana is the world’s top diamond producer in terms of value and second in terms of volume behind Russia. Other southern African countries that produce diamonds are South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini. In Zambia, there’s exploration work underway.
Michel-Kleisbauer, who also sits in the French National Assembly, assured Masisi that he would “elevate” his request in France. In 2020, French fashion house Louis Vuitton acquired a 549-carat stone unearthed at the Karowe Mine in Botswana. The stone, named “Sethunya”, is Setswana for flower. It was the second gem bought by Louis Vuitton from Botswana in a space of eight months. The first was Sewelô, the largest diamond found in Botswana to date.
