Blood Diamond Civil War

Diamond mining in Sierra Leone has had a central role in the civil war from 1991 to 2002 as depicted in the movie Blood Diamond. This situation also applies to the real-world Sierra Leone and surrounding countries in Africa. The desire to collect valuable diamonds to exchange for weapons led to the creation of warlords in the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the kidnapping and conditioning of child soldiers, and the destruction of villages and families. The desirability of diamonds in the western market contributed to a situation in which diamond smuggling became highly profitable, and diamond companies looked the other way when it came to the origin of the diamonds they sold. The film highlights the issues in which led to the creation of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and the problems that still exist with the Kimberly Process. Even though the civil war has ended, diamond conflicts still exist in Africa. Consumerism of diamonds from Africa without diamond companies being held responsible contributes to the conflicts of the area destroying the livelihood of the citizens of areas like

The film Blood Diamond tells the story of how diamonds impacted the civil war by helping to create warlords within the RUF, child soldiers, and leading the destruction of villages and families. Consumerism contributed to the increase in the value and desirability of diamonds. The film helps to show that despite the end of the civil war and despite the Kimberly process consumerism still creates a market for the blood diamonds that are smuggled out of conflict zones and then purchased by diamond sellers in western markets. The trade, sell, and purchase of diamonds from Africa without consumers making it clear they only want real conflict-free diamonds will continue to contribute to the serious conflicts of the countries like Sierra