Gemstone traceability: Kigali plays golden boy, thumbs its nose at Kampala

摘要

Long regarded as a hub for mineral trafficking in the Great Lakes region, Rwanda has decided to clean up its act. In mid-May, Francis Gatare, the director general of the regulatory Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), set out new rules for gemstone exports. A key point of the reforms is that bags and other containers must now be sealed under RMB's authority immediately after consignments are weighed and valued by an expert gemmologist. The aim is to prevent any subsequent modification of shipments.