As a major step toward formally establishing an “African Diamond Producing Countries Association”, planned for later this year, Angola hosted representatives of 12 other African diamond producing nations in its capital Luanda September 5-6.
Representatives from South Africa, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania and Zimbabwe discussed budgets, bylaws and rules for membership.

Angolan Deputy Minister of Geology and Mining Mankenda Ambroise spoke positively about the Kimberley Process and said that conflict diamonds are now becoming prosperity diamonds for the peoples of Africa. Diamonds are found in 19 African nations, and are mined in all but one of those, he said. About 60 percent of the world’s rough diamonds by value come from Africa.
The next meeting, scheduled for November 1^st to 3^rd , will mark the official foundation of the association under the “Declaration of Luanda” and establish rules for its executive, members and functions.
- Antwerp Facets LUANDA, ANGOLA, September 12, 2006.