Sierra Leone’s First Lady Joins Diamond Protest

The first lady of Sierra Leone has joined protests against owners of the Koidu diamond mine, supporting strike action and demanding pay rises and improved working conditions.

Fatima Maada Bio, wife of president Julius Maada Bio, publicly highlighted the demands of workers and posted a message on her official X (formerly Twitter) account.

“As a proud daughter of the soil, I joined my brothers and sisters working at the Koidu Limited Mining Company in Kono Town to peacefully protest,” she wrote.

“Our collective action aimed to urge Koidu Limited to enhance working conditions and provide better services for all employees.”

She said among the key demands were recognition of the union, living allowances, a 30 per cent salary increment, overtime compensation, the provision of incentives, access to safe drinking water, and freedom of financial choice.

“This protest is a call to action for the company to improve the working conditions and provide better services. We believe that these demands are reasonable and essential for maintaining the well-being and dignity of workers.”

Workers at the mine have long complained about low wages, poor working conditions, and alleged racism, and protests have, in the past, turned violent.

Koidu, a subsidiary of the Octea Diamond Group, was the first to begin commercial diamond operations after the country’s 11-year civil war in 2003.

In a statement on what it described as the “illegal strike action” last week, Koidu Limited said: “Our absolute priority remains the safety and wellbeing of our employees and the community. We maintain our position of zero tolerance to any violence, intimidation or incitement thereof. The government of Sierra Leone has offered the full support of its security forces.”

The company said it wanted to engage in direct negotiations as soon as possible to address all of these concerns, but could only do so if the industrial action is called off immediately.

“Failure to work within the laws of Sierra Leone, as well as the continuing of incitement of actions to obstruct workers from returning to work (particularly violence), is likely to result in the withdrawal of all staff from the mine on the grounds of safety.

“This will result in the ceasing of all operations; an existential threat to the mine itself.”

Source: IDEX

PS: Sierra Leone: The Original Blood Diamonds

Sierra Leone, a West African nation blessed with abundant natural resources, is synonymous with the term “blood diamonds”—a phrase that evokes images of conflict, human suffering, and illicit trade. These diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, played a devastating role in the country’s brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002, financing rebel groups and fueling atrocities. Understanding Sierra Leone’s blood diamond history is essential to appreciating the industry’s evolution and the ongoing efforts to prevent such tragedies from recurring.

The Rise of Blood Diamonds

Sierra Leone’s diamond wealth has long attracted fortune seekers and corporations, but it also became a curse. Diamonds were first discovered in the country in the 1930s, and by the 1950s, Sierra Leone had established itself as a significant diamond producer. However, much of the mining was conducted informally, leading to smuggling and corruption.

The real tragedy began in 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a rebel group, launched a war against the government. The RUF quickly realized that controlling diamond mines meant securing a near-endless source of funding for weapons and operations. The group forced civilians, including children, into grueling labor in the mines, extracting diamonds that were then smuggled through neighboring countries and sold on international markets. These diamonds were used to purchase arms, prolonging the conflict and leading to widespread atrocities, including mutilations, mass killings, and child soldier recruitment.

International Response and the Kimberley Process

By the late 1990s, reports detailing the horrors of Sierra Leone’s blood diamonds gained global attention. The international community, led by the United Nations, took action to curb the trade of conflict diamonds. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was introduced in 2003 to prevent blood diamonds from entering the legitimate market. The initiative requires diamond-producing nations to certify that their exports are conflict-free, aiming to eliminate the link between diamonds and violence.

While the Kimberley Process has reduced the trade of conflict diamonds, criticisms remain regarding its effectiveness. Loopholes, weak enforcement, and the continued smuggling of diamonds in war-torn regions highlight the need for ongoing reforms.

The Present and Future of Sierra Leone’s Diamond Industry

Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Sierra Leone has made significant strides in stabilizing its diamond sector. The government has implemented stricter regulations, and international oversight has increased. Today, diamonds remain a crucial part of Sierra Leone’s economy, providing jobs and revenue. However, challenges such as illegal mining, corruption, and poor working conditions persist.

Ethical sourcing initiatives, including Fair Trade diamonds and blockchain technology for traceability, are helping to ensure that diamonds from Sierra Leone and other regions are mined responsibly. Companies and consumers are increasingly demanding conflict-free diamonds, putting pressure on the industry to maintain transparency and ethical practices.

Sierra Leone’s tragic history with blood diamonds serves as a stark reminder of the potential dark side of the diamond trade. While progress has been made, the industry must remain vigilant to prevent history from repeating itself. For consumers, choosing diamonds certified as conflict-free and supporting ethical mining initiatives can contribute to a future where diamonds symbolize love and commitment, rather than conflict and suffering.

The legacy of blood diamonds in Sierra Leone is a painful one, but it also highlights the resilience of its people and the ongoing global efforts to ensure that diamonds never again finance war and human suffering.

Surat Dealers “Smuggling Diamonds from Sierra Leone”

Kono District, Sierra Leone

Diamond dealers from Surat are routinely flying to Sierra Leone, buying uncertified rough diamonds from artisanal mines and smuggling them home, according to an investigation by The Blunt Times.

Many of the stones are reportedly stolen by workers and sold for dollars at “throwaway” prices.

One diamond dealer, who said he was a frequent visitor, told the Surat-based news website: “We have a network of artisanal workers in Sierra Leone from whom we purchase diamonds.

“They (artisanal workers) steal the diamonds from mines and they have to sell it within a day or two. Since we pay them in dollars, it is a quite a big deal for the poor workers.”

Another dealer told how he hired a team of four or five security guards on his diamond-buying trips.

None of the diamonds has a Kimberley Process (KP) certificate.

According to the latest figures from KP’s Certification Scheme, Sierra Leone exported 641,469 carats in 2020, with a value of $119m.

Source: IDEX

Sierra Leone Recovers 144 Carat Rough Diamond

Sierra Leone 144.12 carat rough diamond

A company in Sierra Leone has obtained and exported a 144.12 carat rough diamond worth at least $600,000, authorities in the west African nation said Tuesday.

The NMA carried out a valuation process based on estimates from three parties, in line with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The NMA valued the stone at $648,540, while the diamond’s owner said it was worth $601,701. A third, independent appraiser put the price at $659,925, the NMA said.

A licensed diamond exporter brought the stone to the precious minerals trading department of the National Minerals Agency last week for valuation, the and the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources reported.

The NMA uses the highest of the three figures to calculate the taxes and 15% royalty due to the government, meaning the exporter paid $98,989 as royalty, the agency said. The company then received the Kimberley Process certificate to export the stone. The government did not provide details on where or how the diamond was recovered.

De Beers to Sell Diamonds from Artisanal Miners

De Beers Sierra Leone

De Beers announced plans to work with artisanal miners in Sierra Leone to ensure their diamonds are ethically sourced and sold at a fair price on its auction platform.

The company has partnered with the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) on the project, known as GemFair, which is set to launch a pre-pilot phase this month. GemFair will provide tracking technology to artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM), aiming to create a secure and transparent route to market for their diamonds, De Beers said in a statement last week.

“The ASM sector represents a critical income source for many poverty-affected communities,” said De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver. “However, due to parts of the sector being largely informal and unregulated, it lacks access to established international markets and the ability to derive fair value for participants.”

De Beers hopes the new project will help grow acceptance and prospects for artisanal miners, in addition to creating a new supply source for the company, Cleaver added.

Miners who want to participate in the program need to receive certification from the DDI as well as from GemFair. Participants will then be given a diamond “toolkit,” which includes technology enabling them to digitally track all stones throughout the supply chain.

Once the initiative is operational, GemFair will begin buying stones from participating miners, which will then be sold via De Beers’ Auction Sales channel.

De Beers has not set a date for the pilot’s completion, but hopes to make the first purchase later this year.

Source: Diamonds.net

Peace Diamond Sells For $6.5 million at auction

709 Carat Peace Diamond

Named the Peace Diamond the 709 carat rough diamond is the 14th largest ever recovered.

The rough diamond has sold for  $6.5 million at an auction in New York, with all proceeds going to the impoverished Sierra Leone diggers who discovered it.

Sierra Leone will now be watched closely to make sure they see the social benefits from the sale of the diamond as the government promised.

The buyer of the Rough Diamond is Laurence Graff. One of the world’s top jewellers and founder of Graff Diamonds.