Road Map to Lift Rough Diamond Ban on Parts of Central African Republic

(IDEX Online) - Russia's deputy finance minister Alexey Moiseev says he's working on a "road map" towards lifting a ban on rough diamond exports from parts of the Central African Republic (CAR).

Exports have been allowed from some parts of the poverty-stricken country, labelled green areas, since a total ban was lifted in 2013.

But sales of "conflict diamonds" from so-called "red areas", controlled by armed anti-government groups, remain off limits.

Mr Moiseev, who currently chairs the Kimberley Process, said: "We do feel that we need to build a proper road map for CAR to go back to the Kimberley Process," according to an UrduPoint News report.

He told a press conference at the Russia Today International News Agency: "We are about fair treatment of people who produce diamonds in this country.

"For many of them it's the only source of income and [they] are currently forced to sell those diamonds to various crooks who take those diamonds in pockets, they are using false certificates and they end up in the market anyway."

The CAR government can currently issue KP certificates to rough diamond shipments for goods sourced in the eight approved green zones, but not elsewhere.

CAR has been unstable since its independence from France in 1960. Despite its reserves of diamonds, gold, oil and uranium it has one of the world's poorest populations.