Diamonds in Central and West Africa
PostBy Avi Pas Group At 15.08.2010
Angola
Diamonds were first discovered in Angola in 1913. Angola's diamond resources are contained in both alluvial deposits and over 600 kimberlite pipes. The Lunda Norte province on the Zaire border is particularly rich in diamond reserves. Angolan diamonds are notable for their quality, with some 70% of the nation's rough diamonds classified as gem quality and another 20% deemed "near gem quality." Angola is home to the world's fourth-largest diamond mine, Catoca Mine, which in 2001 was producing 2.6 million carats of rough diamonds. In addition to Catoca, the Fucauma and Luarica mines are also located in Angola. Luarica produced some 95,000 carats in 2004 that sold for an average price of $300 per carat, a new high for Angolan diamonds. Construction is also underway on the Fucauma Mine in Lunda Norte, which is expected to produce 480,000 carats over a four-year period. According to the Kimberley Process Annual Global Summary for 2009, Angola produced 13.8 million carats of rough diamonds valued at $1.18 billion.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Diamonds have been mined in the Belgian Congo since the early years of the 20th century, when diamond deposits were discovered along the Bushimaie and Lubilash Rivers. In 1961, the Democratic Republic of Congo formed the state-run Société Minière de Bakwanga (MIBA) mining operation, 75% of which is owned by the Congolese, with foreign investors owning the rest. MIBA produces some 25% of the total rough diamonds in the DRC and is the largest producer of industrial grade diamonds in the world. The remaining three-quarters the country's considerable output comes from artisanal mining of riverside diamond deposits at the Bakwanga Mine and the Forminiere Diamond Mine. The Kimberley Process Annual Global Summary for 2009 puts the DRC's rough diamond output by volume second only to Russia – 21.3 million carats valued at $225.8 million.
Namibia
Diamonds were first discovered in Namivia in 1908, sparking a diamond rush, and in the 1930s the country's marine terraces were found to contain diamonds. In 1990s, sea floor diamond mining – which had begun off the coast of South Africa in 1961 – resumed, and Namibia proved to be in possession of 1.5 billion carats of marine diamond deposits, the richest undersea diamond resource known in the world. The Kimberley Process 2009 Annual Global Summary put Namibia's diamond production for that year at 1.19 million carats, valued at $408.7 million.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is rich in both alluvial diamond deposits and kimberlite resources, but to date the country's alluvial diamond resources account for 90% of the diamond exports in West Africa. Most of the diamond mining is centered in Koidu-Sefadu in the Kono District in eastern Sierra Leone, near the border with Guinea and Liberia. For many years the Magna Egoli Mine on the Sewa River was Sierra Leone's only large-scale mining operation, but since the mid-1990s foreign mining companies have invested millions in exploring the country's kimberlite resources and in constructing underground kimberlite mines. Sierra Leone has long been associated with trade in conflict diamonds (see "Conflict Diamonds").
