Diamonds in the rough: the world now recognizes the need to control 'conflict' diamonds. Janine Roberts welcomes the progress but argues that the poor are still paying the price

New Internationalist, May, 2004 by Janine Roberts

In 2001 Amnesty International reported that while the richest diamond mine in the Congo, in which De Beers had a minority interest, was a scene of frequent murders, maiming and illegal imprisonment, its diamonds were sold as 'conflict-free' under the Kimberley process since the mine was not run by 'rebels'. Sierra Leonean diamonds are now also said to be clean--but in March 2003 the UN reported that a major effort still needed to be put into 'stemming the extensive use of children as labour in [its] diamond mines'.

The Kimberley Process so far has no independent monitoring and most conflict diamonds are simply not being intercepted. There is nothing to stop a determined group wanting to market conflict diamonds--as al-Qaeda discovered when it joined in this illegal trade, attracted by its easy and secret profits. (6)

The Kimberley Process has at least introduced the notion of ethical trading into the diamond market. The next step must be an independently monitored Kimberley Process Two that certifies diamonds, no matter who produces them, only if they come from a mine that can prove it has followed an agreed ethical code in the mining and marketing of its diamonds.

Amnesty has asked the international community 'to lobby for the international system of diamond certification agreed through the Kimberley Process to become an effective mechanism by which to monitor the human rights record of all actors in the international diamond trade'. Only if such ideas are put into place can consumers really be guaranteed that their diamonds are not tainted.

(1) US State Department memo headed 'Congo Diamond Deal', 2 August 1961. (2) Related by John Stockwell, former Head of CIA Angolan Taskforce, in his work In Search of Enemies, New York, Norton and Co. 1978; see also Janine Roberts, Glitter and Greed, New York 2003, pp. 217-219. (3) Also see De Beers' newsletter, Namaqualand Mines Chronicle, September 1994. Also Glitter and Greed pp. 4-11. (4) E Oppenheimer to Diamond Producers Association, 7 December 1934. Glitter and Greed pp. 89-90, 223-4. (5) Human Rights Watch, Victims and Witnesses 24 July 2001. (6) Report by the Panel of Experts to the United Nations on Sierra Leone, October 2001. Also Dan Eggan and Kathleen Day, 'US Probe of September 11 Funding Wraps up Terror Money Traced Via ATM Credit Card Usage', Washington Post, 7 January 2001. Also Glitter and Greed pp. 1-4.

Janine Roberts is author of Glitter and Greed: the secret world of the diamond cartel, Disinformation Press, New York, 2003, and producer of the 1994 BBC investigative film series shot in six continents, 'The Diamond Empire'.