The News Review:

- Mengistu found guilty of Ethiopian genocide
- Dubai Diamond Exchange launches ‘Develop Africa’ initiative
- African Diamonds PLC – Final Results.
- Bling Bang!
- Dubai’s Exchange to Host Africa Skills Development Program

Mengistu found guilty of Ethiopian genocide
The Independent – Independent – Dec 13, 2006
The bodies were thrown on the streets. The verdict comes as African leaders accused of terrorising their people have begun to find justice is catching up with them. The former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, whose reign of terror saw him lead rebel movements in Liberia and neighbouring Sierra Leone in the 1990s, never expected to end up in a cell in The Hague, awaiting trial. When he left Liberia in 2003 for a life of luxury in exile in Nigeria, Taylor departed to the sound of a gospel choir singing his praises while he waved to supporters from a velvet throne. But after elections in Liberia, the new President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, called for him to be extradited and brought to the UN-backed court set up in Sierra Leone to try the country’s warlords. The former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré, ddescribed as " Africa’s Pinochet", is also set to be brought to trial. He will be tried in Senegal where he has been living in exile after the African Union called for his prosecution "in the name of Africa".

Dubai Diamond Exchange launches ‘Develop Africa’ initiative
Al-Bawaba – Dec 13, 2006
The two-week intensive professional training programme, which takes place at the DDE, will enable industry officials from Africa to enhance their skills and, in turn, support the growth of the diamond industry in their home countries. Established and regulated by Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCCA), the DDE is the worlds first diamond bourse to launch such a programme for the benefit of the African diamond mining industry. This training programme focuses on developing skills of the five candidates who hail from Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone in the identification, evaluation and certification of diamonds.

African Diamonds PLC – Final Results.
Free with registration – Europe Intelligence Wire – AccessMyLibrary.com – Dec 13, 2006
Chairman’s Statement I am pleased to report that your Company has made substantial progress during the period under review. The focus of interest has clearly been on the AK6 diamond discovery in the Orapa area of Botswana, though other projects, within Botswana are also showing promise. Operations in Sierra Leone and Guinea have developed to such a level that your directors decided to create a separate AIM listed company, West African Diamonds plc to hold and to develop these assets. The demerger took effect on 26th October 2006, and as a result, shareholders in African Diamonds received bonus shares in this new vehicle which is due to be admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock exchange prior to the end of 2006. Botswana Developments AK6 has grown in importance during the year. The initial resource estimate of 40m tonnes has risen to more than 60m tonnes and is still growing. The modelled grade of 24 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht) has been justified by ongoing Large Diameter Drill (LDD) results.

Bling Bang!
Portland Mercury – The Portland Mercury – Dec 13, 2006
but out here it’s bling bang!” Leonardo DiCaprio dramatically declares, pointing his fingers like a gun to emphasize his clever wordplay. DiCaprio is Danny Archer, a diamond smuggler in Sierra Leone who has a heart of gold and a preposterous accent; when he’s not pontificating about blinging and banging, Archer’s following around Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a local fisherman who’s idyllic life was shattered about 30 seconds after Blood Diamond’s opening credits. His family abducted by rebels, Vandy was sent to work in one of Sierra Leone’s diamond mines, where—while unwittingly serving as inspiration for a socially conscious Kanye West track—he found a gigantic diamond worth a kajillion dollars. Vandy’s since hidden the diamond, and now wants to exploit its value to save his family. Archer, meanwhile, wants to exploit Vandy to get the aforementioned kajillion dollars. And annoying journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) wants to exploit both of them to get a Pulitzer.

Dubai’s Exchange to Host Africa Skills Development Program
Diamonds.net – Dec 13, 2006
Dubaiâs Diamond Exchange will host a two-week intensive professional training program to enable industry officials from Africa to enhance their skills and, in turn, support the growth of the diamond industry in their home countries. The training program will focus on developing skills of the five candidates from Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, in the identification, certification and evaluation of diamonds. Set up in coordination with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS,) âDevelop Africaâ assists diamond-producing countries to maximize the benefits from the natural resources and enables them to use the revenue generated to support the countryâs development. â’Diamond producing countries in Africa are home to some of the most valuable natural resources in the world, and DDE is pleased to launch ‘Develop Africa’ in recognition of the international call to support comprehensive development in the these countries,â said Ahmed bin Sulayem, deputy chairman, DDE and chief operating officer of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre. âThis initiative is representative of Dubai’s commitment to development initiatives related to the diamond industry,â he added. DDE CEO Noora Jamsheer added, âDevelop Africa’ has a threefold objective which includes the development of human resources, setting up the physical infrastructure required for the growth of the industry and encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the African diamond producing countries.