Zimbabwe escaped suspension from a diamond-trading group Thursday, though members said the country's mining practices would be closely watched.

About 70 countries participate in the Kimberly Process, aimed at preventing the sale of "blood diamonds" used to fund rebel forces or dictatorships. Sources close to the meeting in Namibia told Voice of America western countries wanted to ban the sale of Zimbabwean diamonds, while most African countries opposed suspension of Zimbabwe.

Human Rights Watch, which campaigned for suspension, and other groups charge that government soldiers killed at least 200 people last year in the Marange diamond field in Zimbabwe.

The Kimberly Process group voted on a phased withdrawal of the military from the Marange field and said diamonds from the field would be examined by a monitor before export. But the group also voted that Zimbabwean diamonds would not be considered "conflict diamonds."