Sierra Leone President Koroma visits the Antwerp diamond sector

Today the Antwerp diamond sector welcomed Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma. The visit of the presidential delegation underscores the importance of the trade relations between Sierra Leone and Antwerp’s diamond industry. A significant part of Sierra Leone’s diamond production is in fact traded in Antwerp.

Ari Epstein, AWDC CEO stated, “We are very honoured to welcome President Komora. Sierra Leone is an important partner for the Antwerp diamond industry. In 2012, Antwerp imported 42% of Sierra Leone’s total diamond production, which translates to 45% of the total value of the country’s production. The average price per carat of a diamond mined in Sierra Leone amounted to $301,56 in 2012, which demonstrates the high quality of the country’s diamonds.”

Although Sierra Leone is a rather small diamond producer, its importance should not be underestimated, as the quality of the country’s diamonds is high. The ‘Star of Sierra Leone’ is an outstanding example of this high quality.  The 968,9 carat diamond is the third largest rough diamond found to date. Harry Winston purchased it in 1972, for US$ 2,5 million.

During his visit to the Antwerp diamond community, President Koroma was given a tour of the Diamond Office, the HRD diamond lab and the Antwerp Diamond Tender Facility. The AWDC visit was part of the President’s 5-day official visit to the Benelux. President Koroma will also take part in the fourth EU-Africa summit on 2-3 April.

President Koroma was first elected President of Sierra Leone in 2007 and was re-elected in 2012.