Illegal Mining is Fuelling Conflict in Afghanistan and China Can Play a Major Role in Curbing This

Jul 9, 2016 | Stephen Carter
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For 6,500 years, Afghanistan has been famous for the brilliant blue lapis lazuli, coveted by everybody from the Egyptian pharaohs to the common jewellers of today. These days mining of the precious stone is funding illegal armed groups and driving extremism and corruption in the northern province of Badakhstan, a two-year investigation by Global Witness has revealed.

And China – as the major end market for the stone – is in a strong position to help end that threat. About $200 million worth of lapis lazuli was exported from the mines in Badakhshan in 2014 and 2015. Much of that stone ended up passing through Pakistan to China, where it is used to make jewellery.