Associated Press Writer

Illegal diamonds that finance civil wars in Africa would be banned from America under legislation that Congress approved Friday and sent to President Bush to sign into law.

The House gave final approval by voice vote to the legislation, which would bring the United States under an international agreement that bans the export or import of so-called conflict or blood diamonds. The Senate passed the bill Thursday.

Diamond production has financed deadly conflicts in countries including Angola, Sierra Leone, Congo and Liberia. Rebels use forced labor to mine diamonds, then use the proceeds to buy weapons and finance military activity.

"Blood diamonds" are estimated to make up about 3 percent of the annual global diamond trade, said to be worth about $7 billion a year.

"Millions of people have been driven from their homes by wars over control of these diamonds," said Sen. Charles Grassley, the Senate Finance Committee chairman.

The international agreement, known as the Kimberley Process, includes representatives of the diamond industry, human rights groups and dozens of other nations. The process is intended to track each diamond from the mine to the jeweler's window and to block the trade of diamonds mined and marketed illicitly.

Traded diamonds would have to come with certification they were mined from legitimate sources.

"This is a trade issue, a consumer issue and most of all, a human rights issue," said Grassley, R-Iowa. "This bill sends a strong message that the benefits of trade in valuable natural resources like diamonds should accrue to the legitimate governments and their people in Africa."


The bill is S.760.

On the Net: Bill text: