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Belgian prosecutors are investigating suspected trading through Antwerp in conflict diamonds
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October 30, 2007, 06:15
Belgian prosecutors are investigating suspected trading through Antwerp in conflict diamonds used to finance war in Africa, justice officials said today.
"There is a case still going on and the dossier will be handed to the court soon. The inquiry is expected to finish in the coming weeks," said a spokesperson for the public prosecutors in Antwerp, Europe's diamond capital.
Belgian media reported at the weekend that investigators had seized €14 million worth of diamonds believed to be from Ivory Coast, the West African country divided by war until a peace deal signed in March.
A blood diamond also called a conflict diamond, dirty diamond or a war diamond) is a diamond mined in a war zone and sold, usually clandestinely, in order to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts, or supporting a warlord's activity
Belgian prosecutors declined to confirm this. Antwerp handles around 80% of the world's rough diamonds and half of all polished diamonds.
Industry observers believe that less than 1 % of diamonds now come from regions of conflict, but that before the Kimberley Process system of certification up to 15% of the stones were so-called blood diamonds that helped to fund conflict. - Reuters
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