A recent Kimberley Process letter has warned that diamond mining in the Ivory Coast "continues unabated" and that Ivorian diamonds – the only stones in the world still classified as "conflict diamonds" under the original definition of the term – "may be leaving" through neighboring nations, in violation of sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council and the Kimberley Process.

The statement, sent by KP Chairman Matheiu Yamba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was intended to call KP members' attention to the volatile situation in the Ivory Coast, "a growing concern for the Kimberley Process."

Yamba's letter cited a "risk of re-emergence of conflict diamonds in the Cote d'Ivoire" and urges KP members to "exercise strong vigilance" to ensure that all Kimberley Process decisions pertaining to Ivory Coast diamonds were upheld and to cooperate with the KP Working Group on Monitoring.

"It is imperative that the KPCS address this matter constructively and decisively, thereby ensuring that Ivorian diamonds do not infiltrate the legitimate trade as this could be harmful for the diamond industry as a whole," the letter said.

Yamba's communique concluded by declaring his confidence in the KP's ability and "political will to tackle the challenges facing [Ivory Coast] diamonds through collective and concerted efforts."

Most of the Ivory Coast's diamond deposits are located in the north of the country, an area under control of the rebel New Forces since 2002. Trade in Ivorian diamonds has been banned since 2005.