00:42
The heart of Afghanistan: the Panjshir. The stronghold of General Massoud. Nestled in these mountains, at an altitude of over 3000 metres, is a village cut off from the world.
00:54
Here live 300 miners in search of a precious stone: emerald. For 20 years, these stones fuelled war. Today, they adorn the finest jewellery in the world.
01:14
The miners have only a few months after the thawing of the ice to get their hands on these little gems of diaphanous green. Here, they dig with whatever they've got, and an appetite for the impossible. But the road is long, and fraught with danger.
01:44
"Last week, right here, a miner was injured by a stone following an explosion. A few days ago, two more were hit. On account of the explosives."
01:58
But this small industry could yield a lot for Afghanistan.
02:02
"Currently, the emerald industry amounts to around 50 million Euros. But if it is properly harnessed, if it is made more professional, and we process the stones in Afghanistan, we could easily increase this value twenty- or thirty-fold. So this could become something meaningful to the Afghan economy."
02:27
Afghanistan is a geological miracle. The subsoil is replete with gold, iron, copper, coal, rare metals and precious stones. A miracle which could generate 1,000 billion Euros, and lift the Afghan people out of poverty.
02:47
The country could become the Saudi Arabia of ore, and leave behind it the nightmare of war.
02:59
Here in Kabul, there is no suggestion of holding off on the Afghan feast. The country's immense natural resources fuelling foreign interest.
03:09
So how are these emeralds exploited? And why don't they generate more income for a country that has been on an international drip for more than 10 years?
03:28
Raphael is 38. He has lived in Kabul since 2008. When he first arrived, the Frenchman was involved in training Afghan security forces, before venturing into the emerald trade on behalf of European jewellers.
03:39
"The Afghan emerald is renowned as the best in terms of quality. The Afghan stone is one of the most crystalline, one of the purest. The problem is extraction. It leads to this: stones that are completely smashed up.
03:54
"There you have a colour that's not too bad - a crystal that's pure enough - but it's very small. It would be of interest if we found 5 carats like this."
04:04
This evening, Raphael has an appointment with a seller. The man has arrived from Panjshir with 500 grams of emeralds.
These appointments take place in private. Raphael collaborates with Habib, his Afghan partner: it is difficult to work alone in Afghanistan as a foreigner.
04:24
"Starting up a project like this, everyone will tell you you're crazy. It's not the easiest job. I think it's important to have experience of the country, the culture, the people, how they work. I think this is best - it's always a plus.
04:39
"When they bring me batches like this, it takes two minutes. It's not what I'm looking for. The crystal is still not very pure. Look - there are some bits which have been shaped, but...
04:50
(IN ENGLISH)
"In terms of quality, if he's able to find this, then we can see a future together."
05:03
Dull, cracked, and too small: Raphael knows these stones won't find a buyer in an exacting European market.
05:16
In Afghanistan, the emerald trade is less than 40 years old. The industry is not structured: between the miners and the middlemen, there is a multitude of small traders.
05:26
To get his hands on the most exceptional stones, Raphael decides to go direct to the mines of Panjshir. But to do this, he needs permission. And it is from a relation of General Massoud that he must obtain it.
05:40
RAPHAEL: (IN DARI) "Hey kids."
CHILDREN: (IN ENGLISH) "How are you, Raphi?"
RAPHAEL: (IN DARI) "Where's Idriss? I'll come back.
05:53
"We're going to the Massoud Foundation to meet the brother of Ahmad Shah Massoud - to get all the necessary permits to move safely around Panjshir. For transportation and once on site - to be able to get up on the mine, and not be blocked by site security. For Panjshir, you must go through the Panjshiri.
06:22
(IN ENGLISH)
"I've opened a big project with the emeralds. I want to develop the economy here, and with the Europe market. So, with Paris - I am from Paris, I am French. It's a long work. I've spent 3 years to make this happen, so now we are working on that. We have a lot of requests for Europe because the emeralds from Afghanistan are the best in the world - the best quality."
06:58
WALI MASSOUD: (IN ENGLISH) "So anything you like, you want us to do, the people here at the Foundation can help you. What is here, or in another province, or in Panjshir, or anywhere! So we're here to help."
RAPHAEL: (IN ENGLISH) "Thank you. Thank you very much."
07:16
This is invaluable assistance for Raphael.
Here whole regions remain under the control of tribes, families, and warlords.
07:30
Final preparations: Raphael checks his kit. And takes one additional measure. For him, it's a matter of getting out of Kabul any way he can.
07:41
"As it's two or three hours away, it's a little more discreet to travel in local dress than in foreign clothing. You go more unnoticed... Normally."
07:58
No armed escort. An unmarked car. For this specialist in close combat, you can't beat discretion. Over the 150 kilometres between Kabul and Panjshir, abductions are common. For the Taliban, a foreigner is worth their weight in gold.
08:15
"At the moment, we're on the road that leads to Shamali, on the way to Panjshir. There are times when you should avoid taking it - at night. But when you cross the Shamali there could always be risks."
DRIVER: (IN ENGLISH) "A very good province."
RAPHAEL: (IN ENGLISH) "A very good province.
08:32
"The objective of the trip is to go to the mines, meet the people who work there, forge some links, develop a network... So you have to travel, to see what's available, and possibly find some truly magnificent samples. Also, to discuss with a mine owner what might be possible for the future - perhaps a partnership, for extraction etc.
(IN ENGLISH, TO DRIVER) "I will drive after the bridge, ok?"
09:17
Thanks to the foundation, Raphael is able to enter the province. Today, security is heightened. It's the commemoration of a momentous event: the death of the ‘Lion of Panjshir', Ahmad Shah Massoud.
09:32
Every year, since his assassination by an Al-Qaeda commando in September 2001, Panjshiris come to pay tribute to the memory of a man who, for twenty years, stood up to the Soviet army, and then to the Taliban.
09:53
Over that period, Massoud developed the precious stones trade to finance his war effort. The whole valley placed themselves at his service. The business soon fetched 15 million Euros per year: enough to supply arms.
10:10
The Afghan emerald began to make a name for itself worldwide.
10:14
Though the remnants of the war have disappeared, the economy of the valley still revolves around the emerald. It is the only wealth of the province.
10:28
Last stop before the mines: the village of Khenj. Here, little has changed since the days of General Massoud. In this destitute market town, the population still lives off the emerald trade.
10:42
HAJI PASHTOUN, TRADER: "These goods are ready to go to the mountains. There are clothes for the miners, sacks of tomatoes and potatoes... All of this is stuff for those who are already up there: some bread, rice, water and oil. The miners place their orders with this gentleman. You see, this gentleman is a shopkeeper. He prepares their orders, and sends it all, on donkeys' and horses' backs, up to the mines."
11:20
RAFIQ ARIF, SHOPKEEPER: "Those who live in the valley are poor. The few who have succeeded - who have made their fortune - don't live here anymore. Now they have apartments in Kabul."
11:31
This is not Kabul, certainly; but in its own way, the village is indispensable. It is from here that the caravans set off on their way to the mines.
11:43
Raphael relies on this mine owner to get him to the mine.
12:03
Equipment and supplies are transported along this path. Everything that enables the miners to sustain the long months in the mountains. The ascent is long and perilous. It will take over 4 hours to reach the mines on foot.
12:20
RAPHAEL: "Hello, boys."
12:40
AKBAR KHAN: "Here alone, there are eight to ten mines on each side. And each mine is large enough to take several thousand miners."
13:00
The Frenchman finally reaches the miners' camp at 3000 metres above sea-level. He is received by the owners: men from four Panjshiri families who reign over the emerald business. A business which is largely beyond the control of the State. The mines have never been registered in Kabul.
13:42
These miners live far from their families, in difficult conditions. The majority are farmers from the valley. They have six months before winter to unearth an emerald that will change their fortunes.
14:09
HABIB: (IN ENGLISH) "Raphael, we go into this mine. Actually the emerald is now coming out. So they can take it."
14:20
Every day, this thirst for emeralds drives the miners to dig the tunnels deeper - up to 100 metres long, without any reinforcement. Danger is ever-present, but they don't have a choice: it is in the depths that the stones are hidden.
14:34
RAPHAEL: "It's actually the veins that tell them that there are emeralds. In this stone - this distinctive feature here, you know. I don't know the exact name of it.
"They say there's an emerald there. Right here."
MINER: "Oh, look up there. There's some quartz."
HABIB: (IN ENGLISH) See this quartz - it's amazing. So the emerald is also laying down like that. So just take it out, one by one."
15:44
MINER: "Here, we've got out 10,000 carats of emerald."
RAPHAEL: "10,000 carats - that's 2 kilos. They've extracted 2 kilos of emerald."
"Here's the vein that runs across this part. They've planted explosives here, here, here...
MINER: (IN ENGLISH) "This is the high quality that is sent to..."
RAPHAEL: "They've already sent the best bits."
MINER: "There's some of everything - some good bits and some bad bits."
16:22
HAMID: "These are emeralds, but they're a bit young. They're not ready yet."
"When you come across very young emeralds like these, it means that there's a good lode in behind."
16:38
The miners maintain they're at the beginning of the operation. The mountain is bursting with emeralds, but the extraction techniques are so archaic, progress is slow. 300 men work in shifts, day and night.
17:03
Hamid has been part of the group for 2 years. He earns 75 Euros a month.
There are 15 miners sleeping in his tent.
HAMID NAZARI, MINER: "I work 18 hours a day. I go home once a week.
17:30
"In order to improve our quality of life, we have to work in very harsh conditions for a pitiful wage. But if we find emeralds, that could change our lives completely. These stones are so valuable that we accept these working conditions."
17:51
"Once we earn some money, we will finally be able to send our children to school in order to educate them. And if we earn lots of money, we can start up a business. For this reason, it's very difficult to give up the work in the mountains."
18:26
Those who take the greatest risks are the pyrotechnists. They fashion the explosives themselves using powder salvaged from ammunition. The government has banned them from using dynamite, at the risk of the Taliban producing bombs.
18:45
PYROTECHNIST: "Alright? So I put the fuse in first?"
18:58
"You see there, we've planted explosives in the rock, and inserted the fuse. We seal it with a bit of damp soil, light it, and then get out of here."
"You can't break the rock without dynamite. It's not possible any other way."
"What we're doing here isn't dangerous. But once you've lit the fuses, you don't hang around."
"We don't have modern tools. We make our explosives ourselves."
19:28
"How many holes have you bored? Six?"
"No, eight."
19:32
"First we remove the fuse casing so we can light it more easily."
"Go, get out, get out."
"Come on! Let's go, let's go!"
"Quick! Quick!"
"This way!"
19:58
Using this method of extraction, accidents are frequent; and the nearest clinic is more than 4 hours away on foot. The explosives also damage the stone. An estimated 75% of the emerald's value is lost in the blast.
20:12
YAMA TORABI: "The way in which they extract the stones is... it's almost barbaric. If you see the damage being done to these stones... so much is lost. You can find stones which would have been of exceptional quality, but they're cracked - they've been fractured under the strain of the explosion. It's not at all professional."
20:42
For those who work in these mines, the emeralds stand for everything they've invested: time, resources, effort. Miners and proprietors are united; they share the same goal: stumbling upon a rich vein.
20:56
RAPHAEL: "The colour is nice, huh."
(IN ENGLISH) "It's a beautiful colour - a good colour, no?"
21:08
These emeralds being passed around are the fruits of the last weeks' extraction.
21:18
RAPHAEL: "It's nice with the light there."
21:26
AKBAR: "The best mines in the world are here. The most recent have been operational for a year and a half. They produce the finest quality emeralds."
21:40
If the Afghan emerald is to compete with those from Columbia and Brazil, Raphael suggests they are not yet clear enough for the European market.
21:54
RAPHAEL: "These are graduated pieces. That's what we saw this afternoon - really nice colour, very small... beautiful."
22:13
Even if he hasn't ultimately found what he was looking for, from now on Raphael will have special access to the mines.
22:26
He hopes to be able to return soon with extraction equipment that will protect the emerald, and preserve its true value.
22:41
Back in Khenj, the miners' village, the Frenchman arranges more meetings in order to expand his network. He hopes to establish links which will enable him to work in peace from Kabul.
22:55
RAPHAEL: (IN ENGLISH) "When they cut these stones, they will be only for the Russian market... This is different; this is OK. This is very good crystal."
"The colour isn't bad either."
23:11
A few hours after arriving, Raphael receives several proposals.
23:15
With this one, we're really in business. But you can see that during extraction they've taken some impact as well. It's a shame. A piece like this - it's not smashed, it's really pretty. This one, it's completely split. These are all little pieces - for watches, and stuff like that. With this one, which is already nearly five carats, if it's not blown to pieces, you can make a lovely item. You don't find this colour of crystal, this quality of stone, just anywhere. Good for both working people and international sale.
24:01
Raphael is interested in this batch, but he's not the only one. The goods will be auctioned.
In Afghanistan, you don't talk money in public. It's considered offensive. Deals are negotiated under a scarf.
24:19
The Frenchman hits the jackpot, but we won't find out the price.
Every year, Panjshir emeralds generate 50 million Euros. 80% of the stones leave the country illegally, and sometimes even end up being marked as Columbian or Brazilian: a loss of income for the State.
24:35
YAMA TORABI, INTEGRITY WATCH AFGHANISTAN: "They'll go to Pakistan, to Peshawar, to Namak Mandi, where the stone is refined... smoothed. That recoups some value. And after, they'll go on to other places - to Dubai, Moscow, France, or elsewhere. And there, it will fetch 10 times, 100 times plus, the value. So, if we could train people and process the stones here in Afghanistan, then they will regain some of their worth. But to develop such a model would take the best part of a generation."
25:14
Exported precious stones are officially taxed at 27% by the government. But the State has never managed to regulate the industry.
25:23
MUHAMMAD RAFIQ SEDIQI, SPOKESMAN FOR MINISTRY OF MINES: "The mines are a national asset. They don't belong to anybody - to any group or to any province. They belong entirely to the Afghan nation. Eventually, their operation should be able to bring us economic freedom and stability. Those who exploit the mines' resources illegally are working against the interests of the State."
25:49
The mine owners aren't the only ones to profit from the weakness of the State. In Kabul, the emerald market is under the control of one man: Mohamed Gul, Massoud's former driver.
26:07
MOHAMED GUL: "These photos are very old. They're 25 years old. That's me with General Massoud."
26:15
In the 1980s, Massoud entrusted him with a mission: to retrieve some of the emeralds from the miners, and sell them abroad. Today, Mohamed Gul believes this business belongs to him.
26:28
MOHAMED GUL: "The government still use a mining law adopted 100 years ago. We exporters pay too much tax on precious stones. This is not the case anywhere else."
26:51
In the walkways of the gemstone bazaar, Mohamed Gul is at home.
26:59
Massoud's old driver has exclusivity on the majority of export licences. And it is he, too, who sets the market prices for rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.
27:11
SELLER: "You're our boss. We need you. But we're always told that you are not here... that you are in Dubai or Switzerland."
OTHER SELLER WITH HAT: "When you're going away, just tell us in advance."
FIRST SELLER: "And tell us when there are buyers, too."
MOHAMED GUL: "I promise, I'll focus on you 100% from now on."
27:37
At a time when foreign troops are beginning their withdrawal from Afghanistan - and taking with them a quantity of international aid - taking advantage of the country's natural resources has never been more vital. But this requires a total remodelling if they are to stand any chance of attracting foreign capital. Meanwhile, a third of the Afghan population still live below the poverty line.