africa: Diamond Trade Seen as No Longer So Rough

With rebel forces at the gates of Monrovia, Liberia's capital, and eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo beset by feuding militias, there is little sign of an end to Africa's conflicts. So it is all the more surprising, on the face of it, that a United Nations-backed initiative should appear to be on the verge of legitimising the "official" trade in diamonds that many fear can easily be subverted to help support civil wars. In many African countries, diamond production is in the hands of artisan miners, with little or no regulation. The flow of diamonds - a small but high-value commodity that is easily hidden, transported and smuggled - was always seen as almost impossible to control.