“Even though the alluvial diamond deposits [in Sierra Leone] are shrinking, there are still diamonds in kimberlite pipes which could be mined,” the president was quoted to have said in a note on the Israeli Diamond Industry website.

“We want to continue to be active in the global diamond industry, and we’ll continue to make sure that investors get good return on their investments, as long as Sierra Leone gets its share as well, naturally.”

Sierra Leone joined the Kimberley Process in 2003 following the end of its civil war. The country produced 500,000 carats of rough diamonds in 2015, down from 620,181 carats in 2014, according to the kimberley process.