“2004 was an important year for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for its diamond
industry. Despite a series of violent flare-ups in Ituri and elsewhere, the coalition government held
together, making its way towards the elections of 2006. The commitment by the UN Security Council
to the DRC, in the form of the world’s largest current peacekeeping mission, is reassuring – even if the
force itself is small in relation to the task. In the diamond industry there were major government
changes, with a new minister and a new director at the Centre for Evaluation, Expert Analysis and
Certification (CEEC), which is responsible for managing the country’s diamond exports and its
Kimberley Process compliance. The DRC’s diamond exports rose by 13% in value and 10% in volume
compare to 2003, no mean achievement under the circumstances.”
