With a strong survival instinct, he has made himself a key player in the business of conflict diamonds. Non Conflict Diamonds. Conflict diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments. 99.8% of all diamonds mined, manufactured and sold are conflict-free, but even one diamond supporting conflict is one too many. The Kimberly process was instigated in 2003... Rapper Raekwon from the group Wu-Tang Clan shows his medallions during a trip to Sierra Leone documented in the new film on conflict diamonds, 'Bling: The Planet Rock'. Over the past several A deep abyss punctures the southern suburbs of Koidu Town, one of the largest cities in Sierra Leone. After a decade of civil war, Sierra Leone was banned from the diamond trade in 2000. Ivory Coast: Following a 1999 coup, the Ivory Coast became a hub for conflict diamonds exported out of Liberia and Sierra Leone until the U.N. Security Council banned all diamond exports from the country in 2005. entered Sierra Leone from Liberia. Within 3 years, the war ended and Sierra Leone had joined the Kimberley Process. Diamonds were instrumental in creating, sustaining and heightening the war in Sierra Leone and frustrating the search for peace. Diamonds were first discovered in Koidu during the 1930s. Thousands in countries such as Sierra Leone are used as slaves to extract diamonds. In Sierra Leone, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Rwanda, diamond mining has paid for weapons and ammunition on both sides (or sometimes several sides) of brutal civil wars. Diamonds brought weapons to the region. The conflict created over 2 million refugees and completely destroyed much of the country's infrastructure. Blood diamonds often originate in war-torn areas and are illegally traded. It was released on May 31, 2005, as the lead single of his second studio album, Late Registration.The track features a sample of the song "Diamonds Are Forever" by Shirley Bassey. Diamond miners have re-routed rivers and constructed dams to expose riverbeds for mining, with disastrous effects on fish and wildlife. Blood Diamond movie poster. The Sierra Leone conflict, and others in the region like the Ogoni crisis in Nigeria, confirm the link between resources, governance and civil society. – The purpose of this paper is to examine the Sierra Leonean trade in “conflict diamonds” which has fuelled a rebel war in the country for more than a decade. Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which still exists today. The three most senior surviving leaders, Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao,... US national arrested on Sierra Leone 'blood diamond' charges. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number 8 on the UK Top 40. The most prevalent natural resource in Sierra Leone is the diamond. This paper explores the role of alluvial diamond mining in post-conflict Sierra Leone, focusing on two communities in the Eastern Province that were badly affected by the war. The 2006 Leonardo DiCaprio thriller . One potential way to halt blood diamond trafficking is to send military troops into small countries such as Sierra Leone, doing a search and destroy mission to shut down any and all blood diamond camps. Since the Sierra Leone civil war of the 1990s, the country has redirected its conflict over other issues related to diamonds. The Sierra Leone-Liberia Link The role of diamonds in the Sierra Leone conflict was similar to that of Angola. entered Sierra Leone from Liberia. The conflict in Sierra Leone began in 1991 when the rebel Revolutionary United Front (R.U.F./S.L.) Diamonds intensify … In 2001, the trading of all rough stones originating from Sierra Leone or Liberia was declared illegal in the United States until the Kimberly Process was officially launched in 2003. SIERRA LEONE AND CONFLICT DIAMONDS: ESTABLSHING A LEGAL DIAMOND TRADE AND ENDING REBEL CONTROL OVER THE COUNTRY'S DIAMOND RESOURCES "Control of resources has greater weight than uniform administrative control over one's entire comer of the world, especially in places such as Sierra Leone where valuable resources are concentrated and portable.' However, the need to use the diamonds for commercial gains has fuelled new controversies in the country. Liberia: A 14-year civil war created ample opportunity for the illicit diamond trade to flourish. Lome gave Foday Sankoh, the commander of the RUF, the vice presidency and control of Sierra Leone's diamond mines in return for a cessation of the fighting and the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to monitor the disarmament process. Fittingly diamonds are made of pure carbon, and diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man. Ivory Coast: Following a 1999 coup, the Ivory Coast became a hub for conflict diamonds exported out of Liberia and Sierra Leone until the U.N. Security Council banned all diamond exports from the country in 2005. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. Notably, Sierra Leone is not the only country affected in this way. [1] Diamonds … 2. to the awareness of the general public. [1] Diamonds … Sierra Leone was notorious for conflict diamonds, involving several different major people as well as different countries. How diamonds fuelled the conflict - 23 March 1991: A motley group of about 100 fighters comprising Sierra Leonean dissidents (mostly former university students), Liberian fighters loyal to Charles Taylor, and a small number of mercenary fighters from Burkina Faso invaded eastern Sierra Leone at Bomaru, Kailahun district. 1. brought the issue of conflict diamonds. However, as Sierra Leone emerges from a decade of destruction, other research suggests that diamonds could actually provide the impetus for post-war reconstruction. A deep abyss punctures the southern suburbs of Koidu Town, one of the largest cities in Sierra Leone. From 1991–2002, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) waged an insurrection that ravaged the tiny West African nation of Sierra Leone. within an 80-year history of diamond exploitation. The Sierra Leone-Liberia Link The role of diamonds in the Sierra Leone conflict was similar to that of Angola. Before the Sierra Leone Civil War in 1991, over 250,000 people worked in the diamond mines and the countries main export was diamonds and other gemstones. In extreme cases, diamond mining can cause entire ecosystems to collapse. I. NTRODUCTION. History of the Conflict in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone was originally settled by foreigners when the British On 11 November 1975, Angola got its independence. Origins of Conflict Diamonds are implicated in the conflict in Sierra Leone from its very inception. Apart from the innocent people caught up in the conflicts that the trade fuels, thousands of men, women and children in countries such as Sierra Leone are used as slaves to extract diamonds. Initially, the blood diamonds were used to fuel the civil war. Sierra Leone’s diamond has fueled a long and bloody military campaign ever witnessed in the history of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone: “Conflict” Diamonds Progress Report on Diamond Policy and Development Program March 30, 2001 Introduction The link between diamonds and armed conflict in Sierra Leone is obvious, and has been exposed, investigated, and deplored by humanitarians, journalists, politicians, and diamond … This video is about the blood diamond issue in Sierra Leone. Despite the new Kimberley Process diamond certification system, the diamond industry in Sierra Leone remains extraordinarily difficult to manage and control. Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone History of Diamonds: The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word, "adamas" meaning unconquerable. - Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of … Diamond miners in the Kono district of eastern Sierra Leone have left behind thousands of abandoned mining pits. The conflict was particularly violent and long because both the RUF and the Sierra Leone government were often funded by “blood diamonds” mined with slave labor. As the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone showed, even a small amount of trade in conflict diamonds can wreak enormous havoc. Diamond miners have re-routed rivers and constructed dams to expose riverbeds for mining, with disastrous effects on fish and wildlife. A story following Archer, a man tortured by his roots. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001 - History - 175 pages. The Conflict Diamonds Of Sierra Leone 1273 Words | 6 Pages. Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also under similar strains resulting from the funding of rebels through conflict diamonds.19 B. Diamonds were first discovered in Koidu during the 1930s. Ultimately as a result, the UN has issued a ban on nongovernmental diamonds for Sierra Leone. 02 August 2019. A diamond prospector filters earth from a river in Koidu, the capital of diamond-rich Kono district in eastern Sierra Leone. Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also under similar strains resulting from the funding of rebels through conflict diamonds.19 B. conflict diamonds started to be present and problematic in Sierra Leone as soon as DeBeers mining company took control of all diamond prospects throughout this region. The Sierra Leone Civil War was one of the bloodiest in Africa resulting in more than fifty thousand people dead and half a million displaced in a nation of four million people. In just the past two decades, seven African countries have endured brutal civil conflicts fueled by diamonds: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Blood Diamond Movie Trailer. More than 10 years after the declared cessation of its decade-long conflict in 2002, the country remained relatively stable. Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone History of Diamonds: The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word, "adamas" meaning unconquerable. SIERRA LEONE AND ZIMBABWE . Now Sierra Leone is once again battling RUF, and control over the diamond mines is still at the center of the conflict. By Amy Bennett NEW YORK, USA, 2 May 2007 – There’s no end to clichés about diamonds. Alfred and Ismael’s parents, who were farmers, were killed in the conflict. Much of the literature on Sierra Leonean diamonds focuses on the role that this mineral resource played in the recent civil conflict (1991-2002). The informal industry has long been associated with funding conflict to take control of the wealth it can generate and no more so than in Sierra Leone where they became known as Blood Diamonds. Blood diamonds are a big problem, and if there is a way to stop, it we must do all we can. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. However, conflict diamonds began wreaking their havoc on parts of the developing world long before appearing in theatres. Sierra Leone represents one of the most successful cases of UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Despite their freedom, the people of Sierra Leone became subject to a new form of oppression. During the height of the civil war in Sierra Leone, it is estimated that conflict diamonds made up 4% of the world’s diamond production. Not Just Diamonds Beyond conflict diamonds, other natural resources, such as oil, timber and water, play a major role in most world conflicts. When Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front invaded from Liberia in 1991, its main goal was to capture diamond fields. It was released on May 31, 2005, as the lead single of his second studio album, Late Registration.The track features a sample of the song "Diamonds Are Forever" by Shirley Bassey. Diamonds intensify … "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number 8 on the UK Top 40. The conflict in Sierra Leone began in 1991 when the rebel Revolutionary United Front (R.U.F./S.L.) The NGO Global Witness has also claimed that al-Qaida was able to funnel about $20m worth of illegally-mined rough diamonds through Sierra Leone during the war . The west African state of Sierra Leone has taken another symbolic step away from its wartime image as the home of the "blood diamond… Actually it was a colony of Portugal. The conflict started after many years of misrule, corruption, and governmental neglect of the population that characterized the polity in Sierra Leone. Blood diamonds are a big problem, and if there is a way to stop, it we must do all we can. The conflict started after many years of misrule, corruption, and governmental neglect of the population that characterized the polity in Sierra Leone. Using a timeline, students will learn the details of the civil war as well as learning about the victims of the war, what conflict diamonds are and how Sierra Leone dealt with it’s troubled past. Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, originally a British Colony, mined diamonds legitimately and profitably until its Independence in 1961. The lesson profiles Sierra Leone and describes the political situation prior to the outbreak of civil war in 1991. These smuggled diamonds were allegedly destined for buyers from Belgium, Brazil, France, China, Israel, Lebanon, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) during the civil war received their funding through selling conflict diamonds. Chapter 8 Sierra Leone: The Revolutionary United Front. called precious stones (diamonds) played in the conflict which happened in Sierra Leone, is to as well look into the issue of greed and grievance in the conflict, as some analyst have argued that the greedy behavior of the rebels for resource wealth was the main Ten years after the conflict, diamonds remain a contentious issue. Blood diamonds and land corruption in Sierra Leone. Liberia: A 14-year civil war created ample opportunity for the illicit diamond trade to flourish. Diamond miners in the Kono district of eastern Sierra Leone have left behind thousands of abandoned mining pits. The civil war devastated Sierra Leone from 1991 till 2002. The conflict over the diamonds shaped a new culture for Sierra Leone; one of poverty, violence, and gender inequality, all of which has been most prevalent for the women, who according to McFerson are the most marginalized in the world. However, the RUF received from the Liberian government significant support that served as a conduit for the illicit trade in Sierra Leone diamonds as well as a source of arms supplies. LESSON INTENTIONS LESSON OUTCOMES 1. diamond management in post-conflict Sierra Leone to This paper therefore adopts the resource curse reveal the gradual transformation of diamond exploi hypothesis to examine its historical and contemporary tation to … Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 July 2021: Speaking at an event organised by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Jeanine Mabunda Lioko, an MP in the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighted activities that had demonstrated success in her own country in relation to conflict-related sexual violence, but stressed much more action was needed globally. Charles Taylor played a large role in the illicit diamond trade. Overview. Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia, is often cited as having started the conflict in Sierra Leone through his direct sponsorship of diamond bandits who then smuggled the gems through the Sierra Leonean border with Liberia. In 1930, a British geologist discovered diamonds in the region. 1 Three successful national elections were held in 2002, 2007, and 2012. Freetown and Sierra Leone's government. Today, diamond export revenues are the single most important source of funds for the rebuilding of infrastructure, health services, and education systems in Sierra Leone. 2000: UN imposes global embargo of diamond exports out of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Angola and other countries are called as having blood diamonds because the diamonds are mined during in the civil wars. ), a ruthless rebel group seized Kono, the diamond mining capital of Sierra Leone. Despite being among the top-ten diamond-producing nations, Sierra Leone's mining is inefficient. Blood Diamonds: The Fuel Behind The Conflict Group pulls out of … He is alleged to have been rewarded with blood diamonds from Sierra Leone in return for helping … Fittingly diamonds are made of pure carbon, and diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man. In just the past two decades, seven African countries have endured brutal civil conflicts fueled by diamonds: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 2000: RUF kidnapped 500 UN Peacekeepers. 2 Reviews. [Journal abstract] Who owns the diamonds? Statistics fail to illustrate the human cost of wars in which millions of lives have been lost, there has been widespread human suffering and devastation, and economies have been destroyed. Sierra Leone experienced an eleven-year civil war from 1990’s to 2002 between the Government of Sierra Leone and Revolutionary United Front (RUF).The civil war in Sierra Leone was officially declared over in January 2002. It was first mined in 1935 by De Beers, which had a 99-year contract granting it full control of all mining operations. Sierra Leone is one of the several sub-Saharan African countries where the presence of natural resources has resulted in political turmoil, violent conflict, and extreme underdevelopment. Experts claim that the illegal sale of blood diamonds has produced billions of dollars to fund civil wars and other conflicts in various African nations, including Sierra Leone (where conflict ended in 2002), Angola, Liberia, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). roposal for Implementation of a New Diamond Policy and OperationsUSAID Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI)Working Paper 05-08-00 1. Koidu diamond mining conflict, Sierra Leone Description: Relocation from mining sites, an influx of people into the area, land degradation, a decrease in biodiversity, reduction in water quality, and air and noise pollution are some of the results of mining by Koidu Holdings Limited (KHL) in Sierra Leone. The link between diamonds and armed conflict in Sierra Leone is obvious, and has been exposed, investigated, and deplored by humanitarians, journalists, politicians, and diamond … ‘Blood diamond’, or ‘conflict diamond’, is a term used for a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance rebel or militia groups or a warlord’s activity. Despite its promises to surrender its forces, RUF never did. Facts about Conflict Diamonds 1: the mines. As Ian Smillie, an authority on conflict diamonds, ... —often the most vulnerable to violence and exploitation—in places such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone provides an example of a current geopolitical reality in which both a state and an insurrection developed similar characteristics of predatory behaviour as they competed for a dispersed, accessible resource – in this case, diamonds. The United Nations and other groups are working to block the entry of conflict diamonds into the worldwide diamond trade. in English and French. The sale of Sierra Leone's diamonds came to be known as 'conflict diamonds', financing a civil war that would see 50,000 civilians killed and millions displaced. Diamonds fuelled Sierra Leone's rebel war between 1991 and 2002, and many hoped after the war that diamonds might help the country's recovery. Diamonds are still a major part of Sierra Leone's economy and greatly helped it recover after the devastating civil war. The lesson profiles Sierra Leone and describes the political situation prior to the outbreak of civil war in 1991. Kanye west unveiled the music video for the single “Diamonds (Are from Sierra Leone)” that offers a stylized indictment of human rights atrocities fuelled by the global trade in African ‘Blood Diamonds’ (Mukherjee, 2012). The development of BSGR’s mine in Sierra Leone was helped by a $50 million loan from Tiffany’s. : John L. Hirsch. – The purpose of this paper is to examine the Sierra Leonean trade in “conflict diamonds” which has fuelled a rebel war in the country for more than a decade. The gems became one of the greatest sources of Sierra Leone’s future conflict, earning them the name “ Blood Diamonds .”. Conflict or "blood" diamonds are illegally traded to fund conflict in war-torn areas. Blood diamonds and land corruption in Sierra Leone. These diamonds gained attention during the Sierra Leone civil war in the 1990s, which was depicted in the 2006 movie Blood Diamond —showing how rebel groups engaged in brutal tactics to smuggle and sell diamonds. Political unrest is rampant in Sierra Leone as people fight tooth for tooth. It also faces many challenges including weak laws and smuggling issues. A history of conflict diamonds in West Africa. This army became infamous Facts about Conflict Diamonds 2: Angola. Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy. The largest parcel described was over 900 carats. Sierra Leone. That is why they are called conflict diamonds, because they were involved in it and the basis of the conflict because through this distribution it was possible for the rebels to buy weapons. Sierra Leone 'blood diamonds' not forever. The giant pit, vast processing plants and surrounding earthworks constitute the country’s richest diamond mine. Kanye West raised the issue of conflict “blood” diamonds in his song “Diamonds” (featuring Jay-Z). The occult eco-nomy of diamond mining in Sierra Leone. Using a timeline, students will learn the details of the civil war as well as learning about the victims of the war, what conflict diamonds are and how Sierra Leone dealt with it’s troubled past. One potential way to halt blood diamond trafficking is to send military troops into small countries such as Sierra Leone, doing a search and destroy mission to shut down any and all blood diamond camps. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. The giant pit, vast processing plants and surrounding earthworks constitute the country’s richest diamond mine. Panning for diamonds in Sierra Leone. Blood diamonds (also called conflict diamonds, brown diamonds, hot diamonds, or red diamonds) are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army's war efforts, or a warlord 's activity. History of the Conflict in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone was originally settled by foreigners when the British conflict diamonds? Only two diamond dealers, both CAR nationals, stated that they did not engage in smuggling and respected the Kimberley Process in its entirety. 02 August 2019. However, the RUF received from the Liberian government significant support that served as a conduit for the illicit trade in Sierra Leone diamonds as well as a source of arms supplies. This video is about the blood diamond issue in Sierra Leone. 1998: Human rights group Global Witness reports Angola is producing diamonds to fund war efforts against goverment. The flow of Conflict Diamonds has originated mainly from Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. INTRODUCTIONThe link between diamonds and armed conflict in Sierra Leone is obvious, and has been exposed, investigated, and deplored by … EK: A Sierra Leone that has changed from a post-conflict humanitarian rehabilitated country to a country that has taken off on the path of real growth, and I … image caption Sierra Leone's diamonds helped fund years of conflict Media freedom in Sierra Leone has its limits; media rights monitors say high-level corruption is … The Geography of Conflict Diamonds: The Case of Sierra Leone Bianica Pires1(B) and Andrew Crooks2 1 Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech, Arlington, VA 22203, USA bpires@vt.edu 2 Computational Social Science Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA acrooks2@gmu.edu Abstract. Sierra Leone’s war over conflict diamonds began in March 1991 when “a few hundred men crossed over the Liberian border and attacked towns in eastern and southern Sierra Leone.” Early in 1992, the Revolutionary United Front (R.U.F. LESSON INTENTIONS LESSON OUTCOMES 1. It was a war of proxy aimed at permanent rebel control of our rich diamond fields for the benefit of outsiders." Blood Diamond. In extreme cases, diamond mining can cause entire ecosystems to collapse. The recent release of a major Hollywood film has further galvanized public concern for ‘blood diamonds’, which, it has been suggested, played a key role in prolonging Sierra Leone's debilitating conflict. Notably, Sierra Leone is not the only country affected in this way. Sierra Leone provides an example of a current geopolitical reality in which both a state and an insurrection developed similar characteristics of predatory behaviour as they competed for a dispersed, accessible resource – in this case, diamonds. The campaign was called Combating Conflict Diamonds. Conflict-free—or cruelty-free diamonds—are safely mined. One diamond supporting conflict is one too many the civil war created ample opportunity the! 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