Smuggled conflict diamonds continue to pass over the Ivory Coast's borders, despite the Kimberley Process' ban in trade in these stones, and some suspect that revenue from the illicit diamond trade is funding the New Forces rebels in the north of the country, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

The Ivory Coast is the only country in the world whose diamonds still meet the strictest definition of "conflict stones" – illegally traded diamonds that generate revenue which goes to fund rebel forces – although the KP has recently made attempts to expand the term to include diamonds sourced in conditions that violate human rights.

Most of the country's diamond deposits are found in the north, which has been under New Forces control since 2002. Trade in Ivorian diamonds has been banned since 2005.

Stephane Chardon, Chairman of the KP Working Group on Monitoring, told the Monitor that the situation in the Ivory Coast is "very volatile" and that for now, the watchdog's main goal was "to prevent [Ivorian] diamonds from contributing to any wrongdoing."

The reports of ongoing trade in conflict diamonds comes against a backdrop of extreme political tension in the West African country, with incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo steadfast in his refusal to concede November's election to Alassane Ouattara, who is internationally considered the victor. Over 100 people have been killed in the escalating violence since the elections and the UN Security Council voted last week to dispatch an additional 2,000 peacekeepers to the troubled country.