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July diamond exports earn US $2 million

    ABIDJAN

    Sierra Leone exported diamonds worth some US $2 million in July, all with UN-approved certificates of origin, Mineral Resources Minister Mohamed Deen told reporters in Freetown on Monday, AFP reported.

    “The certificate of origin has yielded a large dividend and has reduced smuggling drastically,” he was quoted as saying.

    He said that an international company, Diamond Works, was currently assessing damage to its kimberlite plants in Kono District, the heart of Revolutionary United Front territory. He said the company was ready to invest between $40 million and $50 million to revive operations “once security clearance is given”. The government, he added, could earn about $30 million from kimberlite mining, money it desperately needs to rebuild the country after 10 years of war.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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