Once cut and polished, Van Bockstael said, the diamonds are impossible to track. Diamond-marketing colossus De Beers responded to the outrage by banning all sales from Angola. Van Bockstael said that's giving the same treatment to victims and their tormentors. The flourishing diamond industry can be utilized by the legal Angolan government to rebuild their war-torn cities and infrastructure,'' the statement says. Van Bockstael pointed to Botswana and Namibia, where legitimate diamond sales underpin local economies.
Nobody knows how many more diamonds are smuggled out of Angola.
Van Bockstael said international concern is changing attitudes in an industry that paid scant regard to ethical questions. Despite fears of scaring away an industry that provides 7 per cent of the country's exports, the Belgian government is introducing tighter controls. This is the end of the diamond business as we knew it and the start of a new, more ethical business, '' Van Bockstael said. If you appreciate the information we provide, please support our work. Make a donation or become a member of Global Policy Forum.