The Lundas are as well known for their art as their diamonds

The name "Lunda" refers to a powerful ancient kingdom, also known as Tchokwe, which straddled what is now northeastern Angola and southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo. Tchokwe sculpture is highly popular with collectors – one of the most well known sculptural forms is O Pensador, a graceful sculpture of a philosopher resting his head in his hands.

In 1986, the area was divided into Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul. Both provinces are principally associated with diamonds – the first recorded discoveries of diamonds in Angola were made here in 1912 – although they also have rich agricultural soils.

However, the post-independence government did not benefit from diamond revenues because, during the 1990s, Unita controlled diamond production in the Lundas, using revenue from sales of the gems to fund the war effort. This has brought one clear benefit to the province. "Although the Lundas were a center of rebel activity, there was no intensive planting of land mines in the area...Unita wanted to keep the provinces mine-free in order to continue exploiting diamonds," says Governor of Lunda Norte Manuel Gomes Maiato.

Although Lunda Norte has a healthy diamond sector, the real hub of gem extraction in north-eastern Angola is the Catoca mine in Lunda Sul. According to Catoca Managing Director Jose Ganga Junior, "We have conducted geological studies to a depth of 600 meters, which reveal reserves of 130 million carats."

The Catoca mine, which started operating in 1997, employs 1,400 Angolans, most of whom come from Lunda Sul. Although Catoca is forging ahead in terms of production, it faces one enormous challenge. As road and rail networks have been destroyed by the war, all fuel and other essential supplies have to be flown in by air from Luanda. Every day, two to three planes fly in with diesel to run the mines.

Local power generation is obviously a top priority. If investment were forthcoming, it would be possible to build a hydro-electric facility on the Chicapa River which could provide energy to both Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul. This would not only improve living standards for the local population, but also make diamond mining more economically viable.