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.