What funds many of the illicit acts, such as major rebellions, riots and coups in Africa? The blood diamond trade is one of the most powerful and dangerous illegal trades in Africa, which has been powering and igniting conflict for nearly three decades. The general purpose of the blood diamond trade tends to contribute to funding many things ranging from armed conflicts for guerrillas to funding militant forces. Such diamonds are illicitly mined in conflict zones, which are once mined, then used by guerrilla forces to fight and defy government control and force, the ramifications can be seen all through countries with major conflict of Africa. These rocks received major use during the time period after the Cold War, which were used for funding the many variety of conflicts across Africa. The blood diamond trafficking is a perfect example of natural resources being obtained, and then applied for unscrupulous acts which must be forestalled in order to save innocent lives. It is crucial to seek international attention for this matter, and to regulate the environment around such diamond mines in order to attack the issue of blood diamonds. Most importantly, the issue must be taken seriously before more innocent bloodshed occurs, such as in the many occurrences of the past situations.
Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire), Zimbabwe, the Republic of Congo, and Cote d’Ivoire (Armstrong) are all countries affected by this infamous crime. Primarily, the early forms of the blood diamond trade started in the 1980’s however, escalated greatly in the 1990’s post-Cold War Era (Armstrong). Working conditions at mining locations are incredibly poor, workers only earn anywhere from six to seven cents aft...
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...ood diamond trade has decreased because of this process.
—. The Kimberley Process. N/A. 8 February 2013 .
This source by globalwitness.org discusses a brief history of the Kimberley Certification Process. The source discusses about the nations who have enforced it and it also discusses about the regulations of blood diamonds enforced by many nations against the blood diamond trade
Walt, Vivienne. Diamonds Aren't Forever. 7 December 2006. 1 February 2013 .
This source discusses about the aftermath of the conflict-ridden nations due to blood diamonds. The author, Vivienne Walt, talks about how the nations ridden with blood diamond conflict will recover in the future and the fate of their economies.
DeBeers founded in 1880’s became the world’s largest diamond mining and trading company in the world. When DeBeers was established it controlled around 45% of the world’s diamond production and sold over 80% of all diamonds produced. DeBeers used underhand tactics to remove smaller diamond mines and punished those who tried to break away from the DeBeers “empire”.
In Zaire, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, many children wake up to go mining for diamonds instead of going to school. When we think of diamonds, we tend to think of a precious gift that is a rarity which is tended to be given in proposals or other special occasions. The truth is, diamonds are quite common in west and central Africa, but to profit more off these blood diamonds the industry markets them off to be much more rare than they actually are. Blood diamonds, why are they called blood diamonds? Possibly because they are made by the bloody hands of small children who are in physical, mental, and emotional harm from working this burdensome job every day.
The African Diamond Trade is a large cycle of exploitation. An estimated 65% of diamonds mined worldwide originate in Africa (Cahill 2009). In 2016, the U.S. diamond industry grew 4% to reach $40 billion, approximately half of a global $80 billion industry (DeBeers Group 2017). But how do these diamonds make it from African river banks to American engagement rings? According to Time Magazine, there are 6 steps that take diamonds from the ground to the jewelry store; exploration, mining, sorting, cutting and polishing, manufacturing, and retailing (John and Jones 2015). Each of these steps adds value to the final product that is offered in jewelry stores worldwide but this value isn’t added fairly to those who create the most value.
The brutal process of acquiring the diamonds begins with the actions of a greed driven rebel, diamond company executives trying to extend their control in the international diamond market. Even with the United Nations implementing the Kimberly process, there are a few weak links in the chain that make it very easy to bypass the laws that prohibit the purchase of conflict diamonds. Lastly, workers forced into slavery, most often children, are subject to horrid working conditions and extreme abuse. The issue of blood diamonds is a complicated subject involving civil war and forced labor that leaves an ominous cloud of transgression over Sierra Leone, as well as numerous other diamond rich countries. Sierra Leone, resting on the western coast of northwestern Africa, is half the size of the state of Illinois with a total land area of about 30,000 miles (State).
Embroiled in “Africa’s World War” for decades now; the Congolese are no strangers to instability and violence. Located in the heart of Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (commonly known as ‘Congo’) has for decades also been the centre of conflict in the formerly known ‘dark continent’.
People Should Not Buy the Diamond The “Blood Diamond” reflects a dark and ferocious side of this gorgeous world that is full of vanity, cruelness and ambition. In Africa, Sierra Leone, there are a lot of child soldiers that serve the RUF (Revolutionary United Front), and those people mine diamonds from the warzone, and sell them into the official market. Therefore, the RUF gets the profits and uses it for illegal plans or terror attacks to threaten the country and the people. These behaviors and activities have increased the morality rate in Africa, and the desire to get “blood diamonds” is the crucial factor that drives these conflicts and causes that devastating disaster.
Since the 1930’s when Sir Ernest Oppenheimer established the Central Selling Organisation, De Beers Consolidated Mines have controlled the selling and marketing of approximately 80% of the world’s rough diamond production (Capon, 1998). However, in 1996, Australian company, Argyle, stunned the world by announcing that they would no longer market diamonds through De Beers C.S.O. Many economists predicted that Argyle wouldn’t be able to compete against the mammoth De Beers. Yet in the year to December 31, Argyle recorded a profit of $142.5 million, an increase of 76% (Treadgold, 1999). De Beers is currently looking like losing the monopoly it has had on the diamond industry for almost seventy years.
Many countries that give out these illegal rocks do not give the respect or compassion to their workers.“... major human rights abuses and child labour, or are beset with corruption” (Dunn). To the topic this connects because people that live in the country are being forced to work in the mines searching for these diamonds. The problem for the workers was that they were not suited for the workload they were expected to go off of. “...for the KP definition of the conflict diamonds to include ‘blood diamonds’ --or those
Most of the profits made was due to the illegal diamond trade have been used by gangs in Africa to purchase firearms. The small countries that were involved in this trading of diamonds were, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Sierra Leone is a small country in located in West Africa that is patrolled by Guinea on the northern side and Liberia on the southern side. From 1990 to 2000 the Sierra Leone put an end to a major war that occurred due to diamonds. The main reason the war occurred was because of the diamonds that were in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a small country, which consists of pure diamond mining. The gangs in Sierra Leone attempted to dethrone their government, which caused a huge motivation for diamond trade. “Large amounts of diamond trades funded the war to start”(Elizabeth 272). And because of this very same particular war trade the name; “Blood Diamonds” was
All over the globe in first world countries almost everyone is talking, texting, typing, or taking pictures with modern technology. Many people wear diamonds or other precious gems around their necks, wrists, or on their hands. Where does the world get the resources to have all of this, and how? The answer is found in the hands of slaves crouched deep within the mines of some of the poorest countries in the world. Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and many others are home to some of the biggest human trafficking rings in the world. The world’s demand for the ever-changing modern technology of today is helping to fuel the distress of slavery in African countries.
De Beer’s success comes from the common notion that diamonds are indeed rare and valuable. Until the late nineteenth century, diamonds were only found in a few riverbeds in India and in the jungles of Brazil, and the entire world production of gem quality diamonds amounted to a few pounds a year. This changed when huge diamond mines were discove...
Because people are not educated enough about other countries, other wise they would know that, Blood diamonds are something that not everyone has heard about, know how dangerous they can be, and how millions of people every year get killed from them. When I was given the task of going to South Africa to meet with someone that have been affected by conflict diamonds I was not prepared for what I was about to embark on. I learned that these diamonds that are supposed to represent love and riches are actually fuel for warfare, abuse of civil rights, and violence.
The film marker is trying to raise awareness of the illicit conflict diamond trade and reinforcing the Kimberley process1 and showing how it will stem the flow of conflict diamonds. This is successful mainly due to the public outburst after the movie. The great impact of the movie has caused diamond companies like De Beers2 to start a pre-emptive PR (public relationship) campaign, even before the movie was released to inform people that their diamonds are conflict-free.
Since its formation the process has failed to accomplish what it’s main goal is, stop the trade of blood diamonds so they cannot be used by rebel groups to finance wars. In just the past 15 years, diamond mining has fueled brutal civil wars in Angola, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (“Conflict Diamond Trade”). All of these have occurred after the formation of the Kimberley Process Certification System, proving that the process has failed to accomplish its main goal in many countries and that due to this it needs to be revised. One such failure of the Kimberley process comes in the war torn Democratic Republic of Congo. While the Kimberley Process reports that the DRC produces conflict free diamonds that is mainly due to the fact that of the
Botswana Government (2011) Economic Diversification Drive Medium to Long-Term Strategy 2011 – 2016, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Gaborone.