Angola has seized 6,579 carats of rough diamonds in the Lunda Norte Province as part of its Operation Transparency in 2019, according to a report from the Provincial Civil Protection Commission seen by the local media.
Angop news agency reports that 19 cars and $275,000 were also seized in the province during the operation.
The operation was launched in December 2018 to combat illegal diamond mining, illegal immigration, administrative infractions, among other things.
Angola had more than 700 small diamond prospectors prior to operation transparency, which was carried out in 2018 by the ministry of the interior.
Only 260 of them were said to have met the requirements to continue prospecting.
State-owned diamond miner, Endiama recently said Angola is expected to bring to an end the semi-industrial exploration of diamonds in the country as it wants to only keep industrial operations, regardless of whether they are run by large or small cooperatives.
Angola’s Operation Transparency was heavily criticised last year by the Human Rights Watch for deporting immigrants with force.
The United Nations also alleged that Angolan security forces and allied ethnic Tshokwe youth shot dead at least six Congolese during Operation Transparency in Lunda North province bordering Congo.
However, Luanda denied that its security forces committed human rights abuses against migrants during the operation.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
Source: Rough Polished 25-2-2020
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