Blood Diamonds Let Go Free

The Kimberley Process was set up to halt the trade of illegal diamonds. It is now on the brink of collapse, as its leading designer, Ian Smillie, walks away. He says governments and the industry have to act against gross violations if the process is to survive.



Blood Diamonds are used to feed civil wars, conflict and human right abuses. Topping the list is Zimbabwe, where around 10-20,000 illegal diamond miners were brutally murdered last year by the army, as the government took over control of a major mining area. Both illegal workers and the African Consolidate Resources were evicted from the area by government officials.



Just a small number of conflict diamonds can create havoc in a nation. It is thought that up to 20% of diamonds globally, are from the illicit trade of Blood Diamonds. Set up by governments, the Kimberley Process was designed to stop the trade, but has failed dismally to achieve its goal, through lack of implementation. $23 million worth of stones enter into the legal trade from Sierra Leone alone.



The vast majority of diamond-rich nations in Africa are poverty stricken, with no benefit flowing down to the general population from their nation's mineral wealth.



•Around one million artisanal diamond miners working the diamond fields live in poverty

•They operate in dangerous and filthy conditions, with little hope they will find any stones

•Miners sell their diamonds in Sierra Leone for 1/5th of the stone's worth when it eventually leaves the country

•The majority of profits are gobbled up by middle-men, traders and exporters who combine together to defraud the artisanal miners in a market that is contrived, being neither free nor fair.

•Artisanal minors work in conditions that are unsafe, facing mine collapses, murders, beatings, kidnappings, detentions and exploitation. Many regions use child labour.



Global Witness states "100% of Venezuela's diamonds are smuggled". Guinea has achieved an unbelievable 500% increase in diamond production each year. Lebanon is able to export more rough diamonds than it imports, although it has no local deposits. Yet Kimberley Process has not suspended these nations from the diamond trade.



Anni Dunnebacke, lead campaigner from Global Witness, said "What's the point of having a stick if the stick is never used? Zimbabwe should be suspended".



"If the Kimberley Process collapses completely, the diamond trade would go back to its criminal past and rebel armies would have no problem finding buyers for their blood diamonds", says Ian Smillie.