Freetown. Tanzania has urged African Diamond Producing Countries (ADPA) member states to establish a unified stance to protect the natural diamond market from the surge of laboratory-grown alternatives, which continue to impact the global value and integrity of the gemstone sector.
The call was made on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, by Tanzania’s Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr Steven Kiruswa, during the ADPA Council of Ministers Meeting held in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The gathering brought together continental leaders to address key development issues and pressing global challenges facing the African diamond sector.
Dr Kiruswa highlighted the urgent need to deploy robust communication and marketing strategies to educate consumers on the distinct differences between natural diamonds and laboratory-grown counterfeits.
He noted that such measures are vital to safeguarding the authenticity, intrinsic value, and economic contributions of natural diamonds to producing nations.
Furthermore, the Deputy Minister emphasised that African nations must collaborate on shared strategies to ensure mineral value addition takes place within the continent, allowing nations to retain maximum socio-economic benefits from their natural resources.
The council adopted several key resolutions, including the enforcement of strict international standard classifications to clearly distinguish natural diamonds from synthetic ones.
Member states also resolved to rally global diamond trade institutions behind these efforts to shield the African diamond economy.
The summit concluded with a unanimous agreement to strengthen the ADPA alliance, reinforcing collective resilience against shifting dynamics in the global diamond trade.
