2006年VOA标准英语-UN Says Ivorian Rebels Smuggle Diamonds Through

By Efam Dovi
Accra, Ghana
12 October 2006

The government of Ghana said it is investigating activities of all licensed¹ diamond dealers² in the country. The investigation³ started as a result of a U.N. report that says conflict diamonds are being smuggled⁴ into its export market from rebel-held northern Ivory Coast.

 
People look into their sifter⁵ to find a diamond stone, in Tortya, Ivory Coast 
A U.N. report, expected to be submitted this week to the U.N. Security Council, says Ivorian diamonds are being exported from Ghana onto the international market, in breach⁶ of a U.N. ban imposed last December.

 

 

The government of Ghana says the U.N. report is inaccurate⁷. Government officials say all diamond parcels that leave the shores of Ghana are pre-inspected to ensure they do not contain conflict diamonds.

Despite the denial, Mines Minister Dominic Fobih said officials, companies, and individuals found to have violated approved procedures on diamond production, buying or export would be punished.

The minister also said the government was surprised the report is being circulated without a copy being made available to Ghana, which is a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a signatory to the World Diamond Council.

The head of the government's Precious Minerals Company Limited, Aristotle Kotey, also complained that Ghana did not get a full copy of the report.

 
Vehicle passes through Ivory Coast diamond checkpoint
"Since Ghana has not officially received the copy of the report prepared by the U.N. panel of experts on Ivory Coast, we cannot therefore be expected to give any detailed⁸ official response to the allegations circulated in the print and the electronic media, and e-mails from the World Diamond Council and some NGOs," he said.

Ghana faces a possible ban on its rough diamond exports when the security council discusses so-called blood diamonds this week. Blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are diamonds mined in war zones that are then sold, usually clandestinely⁹, to finance the war.

One of the issues that became a red flag to the United Nations in investigating Ghana was the country's diamond export levels increased by 210 percent between 2000 and 2005.

Aristotle Kotey explains the boost in diamond exports.

"Diamond exports from Ghana increased from 2000, when the Ivory Coast war had not even started. From 2004 to late 2005, prices of smaller diamonds commonly found in Ghana, rose as a result of high demand and non-availability of such stones in the diamond trading companies global production," he said.

Ghana said it is still committed to the Kimberley Process, an international initiative started in 2002 to prevent the sale of "conflict diamonds" used to fund wars in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

1 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

2 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

5 sifter   

n.（用于筛撒粉状食物的）筛具，撒粉器；滤器；罗圈；罗

参考例句：

• She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This paper deals with a nitempering process of sifter mesh. 研究了一种筛片的软氮化工艺。 来自互联网

6 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

7 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

8 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

9 clandestinely   

adv.秘密地，暗中地

参考例句：

• You should do your competing clandestinely, by disguising your export volumes and prices somehow. 你应该设法隐瞒出口数量和价格，暗中进行竞争。 来自辞典例句
• Darlington. Stevens's angst is clandestinely disclosed while he makes contact with other people. 就在史帝文斯与他人接触的当下，透露出一种不可言喻的焦虑气氛。 来自互联网