What is the story behind blood diamonds?

The very specific UN definition of blood diamonds was formulated during the 1990s, when brutal civil wars were being waged in parts of western and central Africa by rebel groups based in diamond-rich areas of their countries.

What caused blood diamonds in Africa?

The rebels sell these diamonds, and the money is used to purchase arms or to fund their military actions. Blood Diamonds are often produced through the forced labor of men, women and children. They are also stolen during shipment or seized by attacking the mining operations of legitimate producers.

What happened in Sierra Leone blood diamonds?

Under the cover of warfare the rebels committed heinous crimes against humanity in the form of murder, rape, and mutilation. The war between 1991 and 1999 claimed over 75,000 lives, caused 500,000 Sierra Leoneans to become refugees, and displaced half of the countries 4.5 million people[6].

Is Blood diamond historically accurate?

The diamond industry is abuzz over the new film Blood Diamond, a fictional account of rebel militias in Sierra Leone fueling a bloody civil war through the sale of the precious gems. He promises to help a poor black fisherman find his kidnapped son in exchange for help locating the gemstone.

What is the blood diamond controversy?

Perhaps the biggest controversy facing the diamond trade today is conflict diamonds. These stones are also known as blood diamonds because of the blood shed to obtain them. A conflict diamond has been stolen or illegally mined and then sold to raise money for rebel militia or terrorist groups.

What happened in Sierra Leone civil war?

The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), or the Sierra Leonean Civil War, was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to …

Are Blood Diamonds still a problem?

A lot has been done to address the issue of blood diamonds and conflict diamonds since then, but unfortunately, we still have a ways to go. Historically, the African diamond trade has been riddled with corruption and violence that many people think has subsided following the civil wars of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Is Sierra Leone rich in diamond?

These leases cover 580 km2 of land where there are 19 identified deposits of rutile. In 2009 the Government of Sierra Leone received Le 1,854 million in royalties from rutile mining. In 2009 production decreased by 19.07 percent to 63,860 tons, and exports were worth US$ 35,920,300.

What happened to the child soldiers in Sierra Leone?

Many boys belonged to the infamous Small Boys Unit. This reputation for violence was one of the key barriers to reintegration. Child soldiers had lost their childhoods and been traumatized, but many could not return home because they were seen as murderers.

Is there peace in Sierra Leone?

Peace is priceless That is why Sierra Leone supported the Secretary General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative. Peacekeeping is a noble cause and the only way to maintain international peace and security.

What is the conflict in Sierra Leone?

The devastating eleven-year armed conflict in Sierra Leone was characterized by extreme brutality and widespread human rights abuses against civilians. The majority of the crimes were perpetrated by rebels from the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

When did blood diamonds begin?

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.), a ruthless rebel group seized Kono , the diamond mining capital of Sierra Leone.

What is the history of blood diamonds?

A Brief History of Blood Diamonds. It all started with a 15-year-old’s discovery. Over a century of bloodshed would follow. Somewhere between December, 1866, and February, 1867, a 15-year-old boy named Stephanus Erasmus Jacobs found a shiny white pebble on the grounds of the De Kalk farm.

Where are blood diamonds from?

Blood Diamond. Conflict diamonds are most commonly found in Africa, and are mined by slaves. The diamonds mined in this area were coined “blood diamonds” because enabled violence and destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives.