BLOODY conflicts being fought by rebels in Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have one thing in common: they are financed by the illegal sale of diamonds from deposits in the areas they control. International efforts to halt this trade focus on the newly agreed Kimberley Protocol, which requires all diamonds to come with a certificate of origin.
Though the scheme is not even in operation yet, New Scientist has learned that the human rights groups which brokered it are concerned that bogus certificates will make it almost useless. But perhaps the plan can be made…
