The decision to lift the embargo completely from the Central African Republic was taken on Friday by the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, which is an organization monitoring and regulating the global diamond trade, according to a statement by the coalition.
The export ban, imposed in 2013 after the overthrow of President François Bozize, was partially lifted in 2015 and 2018. However, two-thirds of the 24 listed diamond mining areas remained under sanctions.
"This decision cannot mark the end of responsibility for the Kimberley Process, the CAR government, or the international diamond community to engage with problems of poverty, conflict, and fraud linked to CAR’s diamonds. Rather, it should mark the beginning of a more active and committed approach—one that fosters growth in diamond mining areas, supports artisanal and small-scale mining, combats smuggling, and seeks justice for human rights abuses," the statement read.
In September, the President of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, called for an end to the embargo on the diamond mining in the country, speaking at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.