Expulsion of illegal miners resumes

Angolan security forces are again arresting and expelling illegal Congolese and West African diamond traffickers but there have been few signs of a repeat of the violence seen earlier this year, according to aid and humanitarian workers. Sources said Angolan authorities had begun repatriating illegal workers in three diamond-rich northern provinces following the end of a 45-day moratorium last month and that, so far, the process seemed to be orderly and without the abuse that characterised a previous crackdown. "It is clear the operations started again on 16 July in Uige, Malanje and Lunda-Norte. At the moment we have not received any allegations of human rights violations," one senior humanitarian officer told IRIN. The Angolan authorities are believed to have expelled around 120,000 Congolese and 3,500 West Africans in a clampdown on illegal diamond traffickers that began in December. At the end of May they agreed to the moratorium after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) complained it was unable to cope with the influx. UN agencies estimated that 2,500 people a day were arriving in the DRC, mostly in areas where there was no food, water or shelter for them. Angolan security officials had reportedly sexually abused women and girls on the pretext of searching for hidden diamonds, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said at the time. Information on the latest operation was scarce, but sources said it seemed to involve "hundreds rather than thousands" of people, and was being conducted at a slower pace and in a more organised fashion. But without a strong presence on the ground, it was difficult to gauge the situation across the three provinces. "We really have very little data and we are waiting for more concrete information from people in the field," the senior humanitarian officer said. Reports of a new detention of up to 500 diamond traffickers in Uige province appeared "overblown", according to another humanitarian worker. He said around 100 people had been arrested, but many of them were Angolans who were later released after confirming their identity. "We did ask the authorities to keep us informed, and we have asked staff to keep a close eye on the people still detained. We were told by the authorities that they are Congolese traders and merchants who are there without documentation," he said. Earlier this week a senior Angolan policeman said the detention and expulsion operation, known as 'Operation Diamond', would enter its second phase. " ... In the coming weeks, the results will be even better," local media reported deputy police commander Paulo Gaspar de Almeida as saying on Angolan public television on Sunday. "The moratorium applied only to the DRC and, once it is expired, all of the Congolese diamond traffickers will be expelled from Angola," he added.