Illegal diamond mining has picked up again in Angola, now in mines abandoned by the companies who ran them.  This year, Angolan police have deported more than 6,000 Congolese citizens who allegedly crossed the border in search of the gems, mostly in the northeastern region of Lunda Norte.

Angola is very protective of its natural resource, and is the world’s 5th largest diamond producer.  They only allow firms that partner with state-owned diamond company Endiama to mine there.  That is, the government must get a cut of any profits from the mines.  Illegal miners take away money that the state of Angola feels it is entitled to.  In previous years, the Angolan police have taken drastic measures to make sure that the money stayed in the country, committing terrible crimes against humanity on the Congolese who were brought into the country specifically to collect diamonds. 

Police Commander Francisco da Cruz said that the number of illegal diamond miners skyrocketed after some diamond companies abandoned their mines near the Congolese border.  In June alone, he said, more than 700 illegal immigrants were deported back to their native Congo.  He claims that now, having discovered the primary locations in which illegal mining is taking place, the police have gone on several missions to stop it.  He did not elaborate on their methods.

Although the two countries have reached an uneasy peace, Congo maintains that Angolan troops trespass into their territory routinely.  Both countries are currently at a loss as their richest natural resource sits, untouched, as mining companies BHP Billiton in Angola and Petra in Congo have all but halted production in an attempt to “stabilize” the price of diamonds.  The diamonds are still there, and without a real agreement or UN sanction of their behaviors, the countries will continue to be at odds over the coveted gems.

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