Cameroon’s Minister of Mines, Industries and Technological Development Emmanuel Bonde said the West African country has joined the Kimberley Process on diamond certification.
He was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that this would kick-start production at a deposit discovered four years ago.
‘Transactions in diamonds can only be possible with countries that are participants to the Kimberley accord,” Bonde said.
Construction at the Mobilong site started in March by C&K Mining, a joint venture between Cameroon and South Korea which has a 25-year license for the site.
However, the project had been embroiled in controversy as it was under investigations for an alleged nexus between senior Korean officials and C&K Mining.
Also being called into question was the actual size of the diamond mines.
Early estimates by C&K had been 420 million carats, however, that figure is now being called into question by activists who are demanding immediate suspension of mining activities by C&K and a probe in the issuance of the mining permit.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
