Accessibility links

Breaking News

CAR Suspended From World Diamond Body


Villager searches for diamonds in gravel near mine outside of Sam Ouandja, northeastn Central African Republic, undated file photo.
Villager searches for diamonds in gravel near mine outside of Sam Ouandja, northeastn Central African Republic, undated file photo.
Central African Republic has been suspended from the Kimberley Process, a global watchdog set up to halt the trade in 'conflict diamonds,' after a rebel coalition seized power there in March, a diplomatic note said on Monday.

The document, signed by current Kimberley Process chair, South Africa, and sent to the 80 member states, said certified diamond trading with the impoverished and coup-prone central African nation had been halted with immediate effect.

Senior South African diplomat Welile Nhlapo said at the World Diamond Council in Tel Aviv this month all diamond monitoring and controls in the Central African Republic had broken down since the removal of President Francois Bozize.

Diamonds are a major source of revenue for the government in Bangui and even though many stones will continue to leak out onto world markets, the trade ban makes interim president Michel Djotodia's task of staging elections in 18 months even more daunting.
  • 16x9 Image

    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

XS
SM
MD
LG