UN Claims 300,000 Migrants Involved in Illegal Diamond Mining Activity in Angola

(IDEX Online News) – François Crépeau, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights recently said that at least 300,000 migrants are involved in mostly illegal diamond mining activity in the eastern Lunda Norte province, according to a report on Agência Angola Press.

One of Crépeau‘s suggestions to curb the phenomenon of illegal workers was to encourage Angola to create diamond mining cooperatives.

The official made the remarks at a press conference in the Angola capital, Luanda, following his eight-day trip to the country at the invitation of the government authorities.

Crépeau said that most of the migrants living in Angola are engaged in the informal employment market, with particular emphasis on diamond mining. He added that government officials had explained the difficulties that Angola had experienced in attempts at diversifying its economy, in the years following the end of armed conflict in its bloody civil war.