These rebel groups financed their war in large part by bartering diamonds mined from these territories in exchange for weapons.

[1][2][3] To facilitate this, SODIAM created a subsidiary, the Angola Selling Corporation (ASCORP), which was 51% owned by SODIAM, with the other 49% held predominantly by Belgium-based Omega Diamonds and the international Lev Leviev Group, to serve as the single export channel for Angolan rough diamond production.

[4][5][6] In 2017, SODIAM divested its shares of Swiss jewelry chain De Grisogono "for reasons of public interest and legality."

At the time, De Grisogono was, according to a 2020 report known as the Luanda Leaks by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, controlled by Sindika Dokolo, the husband of billionaire Isabel dos Santos, who was the daughter of former President José Eduardo dos Santos and the head of Sonangol prior to her removal from that position by President João Lourenço.

[7][8] Isabel dos Santos had also been a shareholder in ASCORP,[4] and had reportedly been funneling diamonds out of Angola for her personal enrichment.