“The Diamond Industry Annual Review for
Angola is one of three diamond industry surveys prepared by Partnership Africa Canada and its partners in Africa. Annual Reviews covering Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
are also being produced. In those countries, government cooperation has been readily
forthcoming. Despite perceived shortcomings in the management of the diamond industry
and disagreements over how these should be presented, those governments have seen the
Annual Review as a contribution to better and wider understanding of an important industry.
In Angola, however, government cooperation has been poor. One government official said
about the first Annual Review in 2004, “We do not recognize the country you have described.” That might be because the government did not grant most of our requests for interviews. The same happened this year. The country and the industry we have described might be more recognizable to government, and the Annual Review would certainly have benefited, had there been greater dialogue.”
