GABORONE (AFP) - The new owners of a controversial diamond mine in Botswana's Kalahari desert assured native San Bushmen on Thursday that it would consult with them over how it planned to develop the site.

Botswana bushmen from the Kalahari are seen in December 2006 Photo : Gianluigi Guercia/AFP

After wrapping up the purchase of the Gope mine from De Beers in a 34 million dollar deal, Gem Diamonds said it respected a court judgement in December which ruled that hundreds of San Bushmen were wrongly forced out from the Kalahari game reserve and could return home.

"A recent ruling by the Botswana High Court in favour of Basarwa applicants has confirmed their right to live" in the central Kalahari reserve, the company said in a statement.

"Gem Diamonds is committed to engaging with the representatives of Basarwa (Bushmen) and initial discussions with relevant NGOs have been held."

The company added it had begun "a consultation process with all relevant stakeholders on how to sustainably develop Gope" and had commissioned an environmental impact study "to ensure environmental best practice is followed".

De Beers, the world's biggest diamond company, has insisted it decided to sell Gope because of disappointing yields, but supporters of the Bushmen attributed the sale to the court ruling, saying it could upset future plans.

Gem Diamonds, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, said it was confident that the site contained "significant" deposits.

"The kimberlite deposit at Gope represents a significant ore body. With the resource at an indicated level Gem Diamonds' management believes the resource related risk to be low," it said.