War times good for diamond dealers?!

"...The authors of a forthcoming study that the articles are based on argue that the share price of the mining companies who had extracted Angola's diamonds amid the chaos of war plunged because the fortunes they'd made from its diamond mines relied on the treacherous conditions created by civil war. Wartime Angola was a very expensive place for diamond miners to operate because of the bombed-out roads, kidnappings, and other hazards of operating in a conflict zone. Companies employed guns-for-hire to keep their operations safe from rebel attacks. The cost of protecting a mine alone could run as high as $500,000 (Sh34m) a month. And to keep mines safe from government meddling, paying bribes was reportedly the norm. Very few companies want to do business in such conditions, but the ones that do make massive fortunes..."

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Courtesy - allafrica.com