War, peace and diamonds in Angola: Popular perceptions of the diamond industry in the Lundas

This research paper examines popular perceptions of the diamond industry in Angola's Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul provinces following the end of the civil war in 2002. It argues that while the 'conflict diamond' era associated with UNITA has ended, the industry remains characterized by state-sponsored exploitation, human rights abuses, and a lack of social investment for local populations.

• The transition from civil war to peace has not improved the conditions for local populations in the Lundas; instead, the diamond industry continues to be managed through force and secretive networks that benefit political elites.
• Local residents perceive a systemic exclusion from the diamond industry's wealth, feeling that they are exploited by the ruling elite in Luanda and that the state has failed to provide basic infrastructure since independence in 1975.
• The formal diamond sector is criticized for failing to employ local people in skilled positions, often importing labor from Luanda or other regions based on the assumption that locals are untrustworthy.
• State security forces, including the FAA and private security firms often owned by generals, are accused of using violence, illegal evictions, and extortion against garimpeiros and local farmers to secure mining areas.
• The state-controlled diamond buying corporation, Ascorp, is viewed as discriminatory toward locals and ineffective in preventing the illegal export of diamonds to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• The Kimberley Process is described as insufficient for protecting human rights in post-conflict Angola because it defers to national sovereignty and does not monitor abuses committed by the state or its agents.

APA

Pearce, J. (2004). War, peace and diamonds in Angola: Popular perceptions of the diamond industry in the Lundas. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ANGOLAMAY04.PDF

Chicago

Pearce, Justin. War, peace and diamonds in Angola: Popular perceptions of the diamond industry in the Lundas. Institute for Security Studies, 2004. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ANGOLAMAY04.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pearce |first1=Justin |title=War, peace and diamonds in Angola: Popular perceptions of the diamond industry in the Lundas |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=25 June 2004 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ANGOLAMAY04.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pearce2004war, author = {Pearce, Justin}, title = {{War, peace and diamonds in Angola: Popular perceptions of the diamond industry in the Lundas}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2004}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ANGOLAMAY04.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }