The initial buyers are typically black-market merchants and organized crime syndicates, particularly in West and Central Africa.
"Blood diamonds"—or —are rough diamonds mined in war zones and sold to finance insurgencies, terrorism, or illegal armed groups fighting against legitimate governments. Despite the implementation of the Kimberley Process (KP) in 2003, which aimed to curb their trade, blood diamonds still find their way into the legitimate market. who buys blood diamonds
Those who buy or profit from blood diamonds include middlemen, criminal syndicates, and, often unknowingly, international retailers and consumers. 1. Illicit Traders and Smugglers The initial buyers are typically black-market merchants and
In modern cases, blood diamonds are not always linked to non-state rebels; sometimes, they are linked to state-sanctioned abuses or forced labor. Those who buy or profit from blood diamonds
Jewellers and wholesalers may unwittingly purchase diamonds that passed through illicit channels, as traffickers hide the diamonds' origins.