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Botswana, De Beers Renew Diamond Sales Deal

© AFP 2023 FABRICE COFFRINIA model holds a De Beers cushion brilliant-cut fancy vivid blue 5.53 carats diamond that could fetch 15 million US dollars during a press preview by Sotheby's auction house ahead of sale in Geneva on November 3, 2022.
A model holds a De Beers cushion brilliant-cut fancy vivid blue 5.53 carats diamond that could fetch 15 million US dollars during a press preview by Sotheby's auction house ahead of sale in Geneva on November 3, 2022.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 01.07.2023
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Botswana, a major diamond producer, and the conglomerate De Beers have agreed to a new 10-year deal on the sale of diamonds mined in Southern African nations. Details of the deal are being discussed, while under the previous terms, Botswana's share was 25%, and De Beers' 75%.
An agreement in principle has been reached between Botswana’s government and one of the world's leading diamond companies, De Beers. According to a joint communique released on June 30 by the country's government and the diamond group, the agreement covers a new 10-year sales contract for the production of rough diamonds and new 25-year mining licenses until 2054.

"The transformational new agreements between Botswana and De Beers reflects the aspirations of the people of Botswana, propels both Botswana and De Beers forward, and underpins the future of their Debswana joint venture through long-term investment," the statement reads.

The country's president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, commented on the development on Twitter by saying "Done Deal!" and thus made the agreement public.
Tanzanian miner Assia Hussein, who is the chairman of an only-women miners association, observes some pure gold nuggets at a gold market in Geita, Tanzania on May 28, 2022.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 26.05.2023
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Distribution of Shares

Botswana's authorities and De Beers said they were still working out the details of the deal. It was noted that a tentative deal between the parties will preserve the terms of the most recent sales agreement, which expired on 30 June.
As it stands under the last agreement, Botswana's state-owned diamond trader received 25% of the rough stones mined in a joint venture with De Beers, which kept the remaining 75%.

However, under the new terms, Botswana's government will get 30% of the output from Debswana, a partnership between Botswana and the De Beers Group of Companies.

This unit generally accounts for about two-thirds of the group's annual production. According to the government, as the agreement is still an interim one, there is a possibility that the share will eventually increase to as high as 50%.
Earlier, Mokgweetsi Masisi criticized the partnership with De Beers, highlighting that his country would never back down on demands for an improved deal. According to the president, the government is not going to afford other countries to "get rich" at the expense of the nation, "leaving us in poverty."
De Beers, owned by the UK’s Anglo American holding company with operational headquarters in South Africa, has been active in Botswana for more than 50 years.
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