Governments With No Control Over Blood Diamond Trade

Created to stem the flow of illegal diamonds, The Kimberley Process is on the tip of collapse, as its leading designer, Ian Smillie, leaves angrily. He says governments and the industry have to act against gross violations.

Blood Diamonds finance conflict, civil wars and human right abuses. Top of the list is the nation of Zimbabwe, where between 10-20,000 illegal diamond workers were murdered last year by the army, as the government militarized a key mining region. Both illegal workers and the African Consolidate Resources were locked out of the region by the government.

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.

Most of the African diamond-rich nations are extremely poor, with no assistance flowing down to the people from their countries mineral riches.

• Almost one million artisanal diamond diggers mine the diamond fields, living in extreme poverty
• They work in dirty and dangerous conditions, with no guarantee they will discover any stones
• Miners in Sierra Leone sell their diamonds for a mere fifth of what the stones are worth when they finally leave the country
• Profits go to traders, middle-men and exporters who scheme to swindle the artisanal diggers in a market that is neither free nor fair
• Artisanal diggers work in hazardous, unsafe, conditions, heedless of mine collapses, kidnappings, shootings, detentions, beatings 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.

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

Ian Smillie says "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".