Angola: Endiama Celebrates 100 Years Since First Diamonds Discovery

The state-owned National Diamonds Company (ENDIAMA) will organise on 20-21 June, in Luanda, an international conference to mark 100 years since the discovery of the first diamonds in Angola.
The event has the objective to present to participants the national diamonds potentials, attract investments, reflect on the past and present, as well as put the coming future into perspective.
For two days, the event will discuss issues related to the diamonds industry and jewellery, prospecting, research, production, trade, polishing and the international market prices of diamonds.
Divided in three sessions, the conference will have as main speakers the South African minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu, the Mining ministers of Zimbabwe and D.R Congo, respectively Obert Moses M'pofu and Martin Kabwelulu Labilo, and the chairman of the Kimberley process, Welile Nhlapo.

ANGOP has learnt that there will be also interventions from the chairpersons of the World Diamonds Council, Industrial Association of Diamonds, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Dubai Stock Exchange, and Diamonds Bank of Antwerp, respectively Eli Izhakoff, Maxim Shkadov , Qiang Lin, Peter Meeus e Pierre De Bosscher.
During the meeting, the Angolan ministers of Economy and Geology and Mining, Abrahão Gourgel and Francisco Queiróz respectively, as well as the governors of the north-eastern Lunda Norte Province, Ernesto Muangala, and the eastern Lunda Sul Province, Cândida Narciso, who are to present their communications on the minerals potential of their respective regions.
The event is to be attended by 700 national participants linked to various sub-sectors of the diamonds area and other minerals, as well as 100 international personalities.
Meanwhile, on June 20 there will be the signing of an agreement between Endiama and the Russian Alrosa company. The agreement will enable the implementation of a research work that will help to find out with accuracy which kimberlites gave origin to the Angolan diamonds.
In Angola, the diamonds production in 2012 reached eight million carats which enabled to yield a revenue of about 10 billion Kwanzas. Last year, the country was also the world's fourth greatest producer of diamonds and second in Africa, after Botswana.