Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the current UAE’s chairman of the Kimberley Process, paid a visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) to assess the situation in the country’s diamond sector.
The visit may pave way to KP's official review and reinstatement of CAR’s diamond trade. Bin Sulayem visited CAR previously in 2016 as then-chairman of the KP.
During the five-day visit, Bin Sulayem engaged in discussions with government officials, industry representatives and artisanal miners across the country. Civil Society, a Kimberley Process member, has previously echoed concerns about the slow pace of CAR's full reinstatement into the Kimberley Process, emphasising the need for constructive approaches to ensure the country and its people benefit from their diamond wealth.
Since 2013, the Kimberley Process has imposed a temporary ban on the import and export of rough diamonds from CAR due to unrest. With the security situation improving, eight subprefectures have since been approved for diamond exports, while 16 remain restricted.
“By not reinstating certain regions of CAR into the Kimberley Process, it means that diamonds mined in non-approved areas can only be traded illicitly, significantly impacting the livelihood of families and children across the country, ” Bin Sulayem said.
“We strongly urge the CAR Monitoring Team, led by the USA, to expedite a review mission which has not been prioritised for ten years. Our recent visit to CAR reaffirms the need for action.”
Theodor Lisovoy, Editor in Chief of the European bureau, Rough&Polished
