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Angola’s minister for mining resources, oil and gas has said that the government had adopted measures to minimise the effect of sanctions on Russian mining giant Alrosa, which is involved in the main diamond projects in Angola.
The Russian state diamond company, which operates the Catoca mine, the main supplier of diamonds in the country in partnership with state controlled Endiama and is also involved in the Luaxi mining project concession, has been the target of sanctions by the US and UK due to the Russian conflict.
On Monday, during a meeting with journalists in Luanda to mark the opening of the Mining Conference, Angolan officials downplayed the impact of these decisions, assuring that measures had been adopted to minimise the impact on mining operations in Angola
“We are not dependent on Alrosa to develop Catoca and Luaxi,” said minister Diamantino Azevedo, indicating that the mining project had already started its experimental production phase.
The minister noted the “capacity” of Angolan resources that have shown they are prepared to meet the needs of the mining industry and said that there is an “action plan”.
“When this situation between Ukraine and Russia began we took preventive measures, we saw what the possible scenarios were and we are working so that, given the facts, we can implement the planned scenarios,” the minister said without going into details
The chairman of Angolan state diamond company Endiama, Ganga Júnior noted that “some measures have been taken so that the sanctions are not reflected negatively” in Angolan production but noted that there was currently weak demand in the diamond market, which had implications for falling prices.
“The situation is not easy and is not limited to Catoca, but to the entire diamond market,” he noted.
He also admitted that there are difficulties “related to banking operations,” namely salaries paid to Russian employees of Alrosa.
“The transfer operations to Russia we have not been able to do, other ways are being used,” he said, without specifying.
Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine on 24 February that has killed at least 1,842 civilians, including 148 children, and wounded 2,493, including 233 minors, according to the latest figures from the UN, which warns that the actual number of civilian casualties is likely to be much higher.
The war has already caused an undetermined number of military casualties and the flight of more than 11 million people, including 4.5 million to neighbouring countries.
This is the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II (1939-1945) and the United Nations estimates that some 13 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
The Russian invasion has been condemned by the international community in general, which has responded by sending arms to Ukraine and strengthening economic and political sanctions against Moscow.
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