Media reports say that Angola’s Ministry of Geology and Mines, has approved of licences for small diamond miners.

“The concessions are granted, according to the orders from the Ministry of Geology and Mines Organization for Artisanal and Semi-Industrial Diamonds Exploration – (OEASID) in the Cuango basin, and to the Nharea Diamond cooperative, in the Dando Kwanza area,” said a press note from the government as reported by African media.  An approximate area of 500 sq kms  will be covered under this exercise.

Angola is an important rough diamond producer in Africa and its mining industry “contributes 12 percent to GDP (excluding the oil sector), of which diamonds are responsible for over 98 percent of that,” said Ventures Africa. “But only 40 percent of the diamond-rich territory within the country has been explored.”