Diamonds and other precious stones in armed conflicts and law enforcement co-operation in Southern Africa

This research paper examines the relationship between the extraction of precious stones—specifically diamonds, coltan, and gold—and the perpetuation of armed conflicts in Southern Africa, with a focus on Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It analyzes how these resources fund rebel movements and governments, the challenges law enforcement faces in policing illicit trade, and proposes regulatory reforms to decouple resource wealth from conflict.

• Extractive resources in Southern Africa, particularly diamonds, are frequently linked to the prolongation of armed conflicts because they provide financial incentives for belligerents to continue fighting. In Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), these 'conflict' or 'blood' resources are used to fund weapons, uniforms, and military training.
• The definition of 'conflict diamonds' is contested internationally. The Kimberley Process defines them based on United Nations Security Council decisions, while the UN General Assembly defines them as diamonds used by rebel movements to finance military activities to undermine legitimate governments. A third definition by a UN Panel of experts includes diamonds originating in areas controlled by forces opposed to recognized governments.
• Resource exploitation in conflict zones often leads to severe negative impacts on local populations, including forced labor, violent eviction from resource-rich lands, or total neglect of public welfare. In the Kivu provinces of the DRC, the extraction of coltan by Rwandan-backed forces has led to perceptions of 'criminal' recolonization.
• Law enforcement in Southern Africa faces significant hurdles in combating illicit diamond trade, including the secretive nature of alluvial mining, the involvement of high-ranking foreign politicians who enjoy legal immunity, and the lack of streamlined extradition arrangements within the region.
• Existing certification schemes, such as those in Angola, may be ineffective if certificates are issued after diamonds have already entered the formal stream from illicit sources. The author suggests that a universal, forgery-protected regional certificate of origin and the registration of importers are necessary to prevent the infiltration of lawful markets.
• Monopolies and multinational corporations can inadvertently or intentionally encourage smuggling. For example, the Angola Selling Corporation (ASCorp) is alleged to drive prices down, making the illicit market more attractive to middlemen.
• While diamonds receive the most international attention due to their 'low volume, high value' nature, other minerals like coltan in the DRC are similarly used to fuel war economies. Coltan from Goma and Bukavu is traded on the London metals market, benefiting European and US intermediaries.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Diamonds and other precious stones in armed conflicts and law enforcement co-operation in Southern Africa. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper57.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Diamonds and other precious stones in armed conflicts and law enforcement co-operation in Southern Africa. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper57.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Diamonds and other precious stones in armed conflicts and law enforcement co-operation in Southern Africa |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper57.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesnddiamonds, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Diamonds and other precious stones in armed conflicts and law enforcement co-operation in Southern Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper57.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }