'Conflict diamonds' keep fuelling Africa wars

'Conflict diamonds' keep fuelling Africa wars

Thu Nov 17, 1:11 PM ET

Trading in "conflict diamonds" continues to help fund wars in Africa despite a
certification system intended to root it out, a British non-governmental group said
at the close of a meeting of diamond-trading countries in Moscow.

"Weak government controls are failing to stop diamonds from fuelling conflict," said
a report by London-based Global Witness, presented at the annual plenary session of
the 69 Kimberley Process states.

The Kimberley Process, named after the South African city where its first meeting
was held, groups states involved in the diamond business and introduced a
certification system in 2002 to prevent diamonds being used to fund conflict.

"Conflict diamonds continue to be certified in countries that are members of the
Kimberley Process, legitimised by the very scheme which was designed to eradicate
them," Global Witness said.

Russian Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin however told the meeting this week that the
certification system had shown results and any changes to the system should not be
made in haste.

"Three years is a very short space of time for an international program like diamond
certification... which is just beginning to show its effects," Kudrin told the
conference this week.

"Any hasty movements and overly ambitious review of the working process should be
avoided," said Kudrin, who is also head of the board of Alrosa, Russia's opaque
diamond monopoly.

Russia, which was criticized for keeping figures on imports and exports of diamonds
secret until the end of 2004, will hand over chairmanship of the group to Botswana
starting next year.

Russia and Botswana are the two biggest diamond producers in the world and the
European Union -- a major centre for trade in raw diamonds -- is set to take over
chairmanship of the Kimberley Process in 2007.

In a final statement on Thursday, Kimberley Process countries called for "strong
measures to prevent the flow of illegal diamond production in Ivory Coast from
entering markets," which could include UN sanctions.

But non-governmental groups taking part in discussions said "conflict diamonds,"
particularly from Ivory Coast, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo,
continue to be available on world markets.

Quoting interviews with traders, Human Rights Watch said diamonds were being
exported out of Ivory Coast, with estimated production of 300,000 carats per year in
areas controlled by rebels, through Mali.

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