NGO Hits out at Russia's "Conflict Diamonds"
March 22, 22
(IDEX Online) - Diamonds from Russia should be treated as conflict diamonds, says the US-based NGO Pact.
"These are objectively conflict diamonds: They're funding an armed conflict against a peaceful neighbour, by a state actor," said Cristina Villegas, director of its Mines to Markets operation.
She was quoted by the London-based Guardian newspaper in a piece entitled "Jewellery industry accused of silence over Russian diamonds".
Villegas criticized major industry groups for remaining silent on whether they would carry on buying Russian diamonds.
"The situation with Russian diamonds is that they really became conflict diamonds overnight," she said.
"The silence is striking - and it's hard not to presume it's because much of the industry is hoping that this goes away or it's forgotten."
Pact is a international development nonprofit that operates in nearly 40 countries.