The Angolan National Diamond Trading Company (Sodiam) sold diamonds worth $1.7 million from semi-industrial diamond activities between February and October this year, according to local media reports. Endiama's mining geology administrator Ana Feijó was quoted by Angop as saying that only 10 cooperatives produced diamonds during the period under review.
These include Campo Sunjige, Queen Nzinga Mbandi and Chitengue Chalanja.
He said of the 266 cooperatives in the country, 234 were dormant.
Angola seized 32,000 carats of diamonds since September 2018 from illegal miners when it launched its transparency operation.
It also granted 268 mining concessions since the beginning of the operation.
Meanwhile, Feijó said 3,097 jobs were created as a result of the re-organisation of the semi-industrial diamond exploration activities in the country.
Angola produced about 9 million carats of diamonds and is planning to boost output to 14 million carats by 2022.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
