Central African Republic Calls For Lifting of Diamond Exports Ban

(IDEX Online News) – The Central African Republic has called for a ban on its diamond exports to be lifted, saying it needs tax revenues from sales to help restart its crippled economy.

The Kimberley Process (KP) suspended diamond trading with the country in May after a coalition of rebels threw President Francois Bozize out of office.

"Diamonds have nothing to do with the situation in Central African Republic," Herbert Goyan Djono-Ahaba, mines minister in a transitional government meant to lead the country to fresh elections, told Reuters.

"Our country was suspended based on risks but there was no proof that diamonds financed the war," he said.

Media reports claim that as many as 10 percent of the country's population of 4.5 million may have fled the country as sectarian violence spreads between the Christian majority and Muslims, who account for about 15 percent of the population.

Djono-Ahaba claimed that the CAR has fulfilled the requirements to be reinstated but that KP experts had declined to visit to verify the government's efforts. However, Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) research director Alan Martin said the verification mission was unable to visit the country because the government could not guarantee its safety.

"Instability exists in both eastern and western diamond mining areas. It is also evident that the government is not in control of the diamond fields," Martin told Reuters.