A new initiative for preventing diamonds from financing conflict in the Cote d'Ivoire has been agreed at an international conference in Brussels.

Since 2005 export of rough diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire has been banned by the United Nations due to violation of a ceasefire agreement between the Abidjan government and the New Forces guerrillas, which control the north of the country. The embargo does not appear to have prevented Ivorian diamonds from entering Europe.

Last month it was reported that Belgian judicial authorities had confiscated 14 million euros (21 million dollars) worth of illegal diamonds of Ivorian origin.

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