Gaborone, Botswana—

African diamond producers, led by Botswana, have called for a review of the tracking and verification system launched by the European Union and G7 countries on March 1.

Under the arrangement, diamonds entering the EU and G7 countries, which account for 70% of the global diamond market, must be sent to Antwerp, Belgium for certification to prevent the import of sanctioned Russian diamonds.

Traceability initiatives have resulted in customs clearance delays and supply chain disruptions. African diamond producers believe this has led to increased costs.

But Belgium and the EU said they were taking steps to minimize delays.

A Belgian official told VOA that turnaround times for certification have improved, with all shipments being processed within 24 hours.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said the delays were caused by importers not providing the necessary documentary evidence. He said African countries were not bearing the impact of increased production costs because the costs were borne by mining companies.

“From the outset, we have taken seriously the concerns raised by African diamond producers about the G7 and EU sanctions on Russian diamonds. That is why we have considered these concerns from the outset,” the official said. Our Discuss and attempt to fully resolve these issues.

“Belgian authorities also engaged with a number of African producers between September 2023 and February 2024 to listen to, explain and adapt ongoing efforts to impose sanctions on diamonds from the Russian Federation.”

An EU official who responded to a VOA inquiry also said the concerns of African producers had been taken into account from the beginning. She said there were meetings between EU representatives, the United States and the Botswana government.

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi recently said the EU and G7 countries had yet to formally respond to a letter from African producers regarding concerns about the new tracking system.

The EU representative said the reply was delayed because it was drafted as a collective response from the G7.

On Thursday, Masisi told French Minister of State for Development and International Partnerships Chrysoula Zacharopoulou that the G7 countries should reconsider the traceability initiative.

“Telling them that this would be a setback in our own development and an ominous threat to our own existence and everything on which our growth depends,” Masisi said. “We just think that because they are not fully engaged, they are not aware yet to threats to industry, livelihoods and economies.”

Botswana is the world’s second largest diamond producer after Russia. Last year its diamond exports reached US$7 billion.