AFRICA/ANGOLA - Diamond producers form association

Luanda (Agenzia Fides)- African Diamond Producers Association ADPA founded in November 2006 is taking its first steps. ADPA held its first meeting at the end of April in Luanda, capital of Angola, where its head offices are situated. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss aspects of ADPA organisation and finance. The ADPA budget for 2007 is 1.3 million dollars.
The purpose of ADPA is to co-ordinate diamond policies on the continent and create jobs. Africa has diamond mines but the work of cutting and transforming the stones into jewels is done elsewhere especially Anverse in Europe, Mumbai in India and Tel Aviv in Israel. Following South Africa's example Botswana and Namibia, the other producers of uncut diamonds, want to develop an industry of stone cutting and polishing to promote the creation of jewels Made in Africa.
In an interview with the South African newspaper Business Day Congo's vice minister of Mines Victor Kasongo,corrected an earlier statement about the constitution of a sort of Diamonds OPEC. “This is not an OPEC style organisation. This is an African initiative to ensure additional value for our resources with the help of members of southern Africa” said the vice minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a statement ADPA reaffirmed its goal “introduce effective policies and strategies to regain member states' lost income ”. ADPA will work together with member countries of the Kimberley Process, which guarantees that diamonds sold on world markets are not “blood diamonds” coming from countries at war and smuggled by armed groups to finance their military operations. The latest country admitted to the Kimberley process was Liberia, where a civil war ended in 2003, was financed by diamonds extracted from its own mines and those of neighbouring Sierra Leone, also in the grip of civil war. On May 4, the European Union which has Kimberley Process presidency for 2007 admitted Liberia. After the UN 1753 on 27 April lifting the ban on sale of diamonds and the country's admission to the Kimberley Process, Liberia may now legally export is uncut diamonds to Kimberley Process countries.
ADPA has 12 members, Angola, Botswana (first world producer in financial terms), Ghana, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Central African Republic and South Africa. Africa supplies 76% of the world's diamonds. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 8/5/2007 righe 41 parole 488)