Luanda, June 27, 2025 (Lusa) - The decision to replace Russia's Alrosa as a partner in Angola's diamond mines was initially misunderstood, but it was necessary to protect the interests of all parties, the Minister of Mineral Resources said on Thursday.
Diamantino Azevedo, who oversees mineral resources, oil and gas, emphasised during a presentation on the diamond industry, held today in Luanda, that this change "was not always well understood, including by Endiama itself" (the Angolan state diamond company).
The departure of the Russian company, the target of international sanctions since the invasion of Ukraine, required, according to the government official, "hard work" on the part of the Angolan state to safeguard national interests and maintain stability in the sector.
"We found a solution that satisfied all the parties involved - the previous partner, the current partner and ourselves," he said, emphasising that the loss of value of the Catoca and Luele mines was detrimental to all parties.
"Life is like that, life is made up of moments, it's made up of adaptations, but above all of the interests of Angola and Angolans," he emphasised.
Diamantino Azevedo pointed to the need to valorise natural diamonds as a response to the growing competition from synthetics, saying that, at the moment, the most important thing "is to prove the value of natural diamonds".
"When there is a grey area, there will always be someone to take advantage of it (...). We have to value natural diamonds ourselves," he emphasised.
On the other hand, the minister stressed that the sector's priority should not only be production, but also the ability to market and sell, since "the business is not to produce, it's to sell," which has led to various diplomatic initiatives to strengthen Angola's image on the international market, including contacts with certifiers, diamond exchanges and jewellery houses such as Tiffany.
Another front of government action, he pointed out, has been to strengthen the local diamond cutting industry, especially since the creation of the Saurimo centre (Lunda Sul), and a new centre is already being planned in Dundo (Lunda Norte).
Among the challenges that remain, he pointed to artisanal and illegal mining, which he opposes because he believes it doesn't benefit the miners.
The minister said that the semi-industrial mining regime had been created as an alternative, but acknowledged that the expected results had not yet been achieved.
"We're going to work harder in this direction," he promised, also calling for greater community involvement.
"We have to involve the communities more. And, essentially, do more for those communities that are adjacent to the projects, the rural communities, the municipalities and provinces where we are based," he emphasised.
RCR/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
