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War, Peace and Diamonds in Angola |
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by Africafiles network via Scott Edwards
Email: scottisimo (nospam) hotmail.com (verified) |
11 Nov 2004
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TITLE: War, Peace and Diamonds in Angola
AUTHOR: J. Pearce.( review by Eldis Reporter)
CATEGORY: Angola
DATE: 10/11/2004
SOURCE: Institute for Security Studies (ISS), South Africa 2004
SOURCE WEBSITE: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=
SUMMARY & COMMENT: This paper examines to what extent the modalities of
diamond production established in a time of war continue to influence
the conduct of the industry today.The lesson from Angola today is that a
notional peace is no guarantee that the exploitation of diamond
resources will be done in a way that respects basic human rights. The
author suggests that perhaps it is time to re-think the idea of what
constitutes a ’blood diamond’.
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WAR, PEACE AND DIAMONDS IN ANGOLA
The insurrections of the Uniao para a Independencia Total de Angola
(UNITA), and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Sierra Leone forced
the international community to address the problem of the sale of
diamonds to fund the purchase of arms. Through the Kimberly process, the
United Nations and other sections of the international community
developed mechanisms to exclude from international commerce any diamonds
whose sale might be traced back to armed rebel
movements.
This paper examines to what extent the modalities of diamond production
established in a time of war continue to influence the conduct of the
industry today.
The author conducts a brief historical overview of the evolution of the
diamond industry in Angola, focusing on the way in which the Companhia
de Diamantes de Angola (Diamang) has exploited labour and resources
since 1919.
The paper finds that many conditions which prevent the creation of a
stable and regulated environment continue to exist in Angola today. In
particular, these conditions include:
* the control of the diamond fields and their populations by force of
arms
* the absence of any kind of functioning legal framework to protect
the rights of diamond workers and the population at large
* the lack of any functioning civil administration (beyond the level
of mere bureaucracy) in most parts of the Lunda provinces
* the domination of the Angolan diamond trade by secretive networks
operating on the margins of the law, but ultimately to the benefit of
the members of political elites.
The paper concludes that the concept of ’blood diamonds’ is one which
has hitherto been associated with armed conflict. The lesson from Angola
today is that a notional peace is no guarantee that the exploitation of
diamond resources will
be done in a way that respects basic human rights, and which contributes
to the development and well-being of the diamond-producing region, and
the country as a whole. The author suggests that perhaps it is time to
re-think the idea of what constitutes a ’blood diamond’.
Available online at:
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16353
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