Angola Government Replaces Endiama and Sodiam Heads

Angola's President José Eduardo dos Santos and his Cabinet Council last week approved a number of board changes in government companies, including the state-owned Endiama E.P and Sodiam.

The country’s Deputy Mines Minister Carlos Sumbula has been appointed chairman of Endiama (National Diamond Company of Angola), replacing Manuel Aranaldo de Sousa Calado, AngolaPress reported.

The cabinet appointed Santos António Silva to head Sodiam (Diamond Trading Society.)

Sodiam is the marketing arm of Endiama and holds exclusive rights for developing and marketing Angola’s diamonds on behalf of the Angolan government.

The two appointments are part of a wider reshuffling at a number of companies, including National Electricity Company (ENE) and the Luanda Electricity Distribution Company (EDEL).

Diamond production in Angola began in 1917, with the establishment of the Companhia de Diamantes de Angola “Diamang,” a company owned by investors from Portugal, Belgium, the U.S., the United Kingdom and South Africa.

In 1981, the Angolan authorities took over all production of diamonds in the country and set up Endiama. In the recent past, after it had agreements with Lev Leviev’s LID and Maurice Tempelsman’s Lazare Kaplan, Angola signed a marketing agreement with Diamond India Ltd, a consortium of Indian diamond manufacturers.

According to Kimberley Process records, in 2008 Angola produced 8.9 million carats valued at $1.21 billion.