“As Minister of Mineral Resources and Minister of Political Affairs, I have the responsibility in ensuring that the people of Sierra Leone benefit from their mineral resources as opposed to being a curse to them,” Khan said in his letter.

On the 19th of April, a news portal, News Time Africa reported the story of the stolen diamonds from Sierra Leone which is estimated at USD 800,000 by American citizens. The article titled “US JEWELLERS ARRESTED WITH SIERRA LEONE DIAMONDS” revealed that the stolen diamonds failed to meet the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme.

The letter which was addressed to the Sierra Leone envoy to US and copied to the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone June Carter Perry said: “The President and the Cabinet of the Government of Sierra Leone have asked me to request the return of these diamonds…. The aforementioned has to be the declared value only. Twenty-eight rough stones totaling 1,200 karats have to average 43 Karats per stone; and a 43 Karat stone, depending on the quality, has a market value of USD-1,200,000. It means that the value of the diamonds in the custody of US Customs and Border Protection agency average between USD 11,200,000 AND 33,600,000. The diamonds have been stolen from the people of Sierra Leone by the two jewelers in violation of all national mining policies, trade acts and laws, all international trade acts and above all Kimberly Process Certification Scheme.”

According to Khan, “illegal diamond trade was responsible for the death of over fifty thousand Sierra Leoneans, amputation of thousands and displacement of hundreds of thousands more. Presently, there are a million Sierra Leoneans in permanent refugee status all around the world on account of illegal diamond trade that has been dubbed “Blood Diamonds”. Presently, illegal siphoning of mineral resources from Sierra Leone is partly responsible for the high poverty rate amongst its people.”

Khan asked the Sierra Leone envoy in his letter that “I therefore asked that you use your good office to contact the US Justice Department to help establish equitable failure right and retrieval of these diamonds stolen from the people of Sierra Leone. Use the President, the Congress, the White House and any other means to return our diamonds. The people of Sierra Leone are the poorest in the world and the donor community including the American taxpayers helps with their welfare. Returning these diamonds will ease the burden on them.”