Diamonds, dependence and De Beers: monopoly capitalism and compliance with the Kimberley Process in Namibia

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhy has Namibia, with a dependency on alluvial diamond wealth and location in sub-Saharan Africa, been able to comply with the Kimberley Process while other states in the region have not? The author's objective is to account for how domestic political economy can influence international agreements. He argues that diamond dependency in Namibia has facilitated compliance with the Kimberley Process. The case of how Namibia has responded to the Kimberley Process illustrates how De Beers has been able to constrain domestic policy and use the Kimberley Process as a way to maintain a virtual monopoly in domestic diamond production.