Bakary Koïta will lead Mali’s National Council of Diamond Professionals (CNPDM) another five years after members reappointed him at the organisation’s ordinary general assembly in Bamako’s ACI 2000 district Saturday, AMAP reports.
The new mandate covers the 2026-2031 period. Over that term, the council says it intends to strengthen the structuring of the sector and improve conditions for diamond mining and marketing.
The objectives announced at the assembly include obtaining mining permits, cutting diamond shipping times to under seven days, establishing a cutting centre in Bamako, formalising 1,000 artisans and organising an International Diamond Fair of Mali.
The CNPDM also intends to preserve the country’s place within the Kimberley Process.
Koïta told the assembly that the council’s success depends on the effective involvement of each of its members. He called for transparency in management and for strengthening the organisation’s credibility with authorities and partners.
Zoumana Touré, president of the organising committee, pointed to difficulties in accessing mining permits, which he said complicate efforts to justify the origin of diamonds and their traceability.
He also noted certification delays for export-bound lots that can exceed one month, compared with less than a week in some countries.
Amadou Sanoussi Dafé, president of the National Confederation of Artisanal Miners’ Cooperative Societies of Mali, advocated for formalising the sector and proposed cooperation with the CNPDM on training, structuring cooperatives and dialogue with public authorities.
Soumaïla Siby, representing the Minister of Commerce and Industry, assured the department’s readiness to support initiatives in favour of the sector.
According to its president, the CNPDM was created in 2018 and brings together stakeholders in the sector. Since 2014 it has undertaken efforts to develop alluvial diamond mining in Yanfolila and Kéniéba.
Source: amap
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