KP Chair's Praise for Sierra Leone
March 28, 24
(IDEX Online) - Sierra Leone is now an "exemplary member" of the Kimberley Process (KP), after an 11-year civil war fueled by "blood diamonds".
KP chair Ahmed Bin Sulayem (UAE) praised both Sierra Leone and Ghana after leading a delegation on a five-day visit to West Africa.
"These countries have been exceptionally successful in leveraging the KP to curb smuggling, with robust internal controls and mechanisms that set the standard," he said.
It was the first visit by a serving KP chair to both countries, and follows an earlier trip to the Central African Republic.
The delegation visited the underground Meya Mine, in Sierra Leone, artisanal mines, and Gemfair - a De Beers-initiated pilot program to market ethically-sourced ASM (Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining) diamonds from Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone exported $143m of diamonds in 2022, according to KP. Ghana sold $3.9m.
Pic shows an ASM mine in Sierra Leone.