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Mining experts gather for conflict diamonds |
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September 20, 2000
PRETORIA, SEPT 19 (UNB/AP) - Mining experts from around the world gathered Tuesday in South Africa at the start of a three-day conference aimed at outlawing the trade in "blood diamonds," which help finance wars across Africa. Ernest Blom, an executive member of the World Diamond Council, said he was confident the conference would be successful. "We have all the role players in the diamond industry worldwide as well as all the governments of Africa and southern Africa getting together" to fight the trade in blood diamonds, he said. The officials were determined "to promote the use of diamonds for the prosperity and benefit of all the people's of Africa." The diamond trade, worth some dlrs 6 billion a year, has been tarnished by recent revelations that rebel groups in Sierra Leone and Angola have bought their weapons through diamond sales and gone on to commit atrocities in their fight against elected governments. Last month the U.N. Security Council held hearings to explore how to keep "blood diamonds" off the market, and in July, the international diamond industry adopted strict new measures to stop rebel groups who trade gems for guns. The United Nations already has banned the purchase of diamonds from rebels in Angola and Sierra Leone. Diamonds also play a role in fueling the conflict in Congo, but there is no ban affecting that country. Sierra Leone's deputy director of mines, Boie Kamara, said Tuesday his country hoped to have its own diamond certification system in place with the next week and would then apply to the United Nations to have the sanctions lifted. The conference is the last in a series of meetings to combat trade in conflict diamonds held throughout the international diamond world. Ministers from the world's diamond producing countries are scheduled to arrive Wednesday afternoon. |