Blood Diamonds

Blood Diamonds

Diamonds are rare and beautiful and can be mined in several parts of the world. They are the cause of slavery and blood shed in African diamonds mines.

They are created from carbon under titanic pressure and enormous heat underground. They remain underground until a eruption of molten rock called Kimberlite bring them closer to the surface and cooled in narrow funnels shaped like carrots (Cockburn 6). Diamonds have been associated with love for years American, European, Japanese, and Chinese women all expect the traditional gift of a diamond engagement ring as a matter of right (Cockburn 28, 29).

A diamond may last forever; unfortunately, lives cannot and are often cut short by the sale of diamonds. Diamonds take lives just as surely as hunger can (Large). Despite continuing problems, the diamond industry has taken major steps to open up their business and put the squeeze on illegal trade, most notably through the Kimberly Process, which certifies that a diamond has been obtained legitimately (Brown). Africa is the source of more than sixty percent of global diamond output worth more than eight billion dollars a year. Rough diamonds are Africa's second most valuable export after oil, and generate great amounts of revenue for African countries like South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia (Brown).

Sierra Leone is famous for its mineral industries, particularly the diamond mines (Healey). Although the citizens rely mainly on cash crop agriculture and the country has a very small urban population. Sierra Leone is still recovering from a civil war that begun in 1992 and continued until 2002, which damaged the economy and caused widespread poverty and starvation (Healey). Independence Day is celebrated in on April 27. This holiday commemorates the granting of independence from Great Britain in 1961.It is marked with parades and other celebrations (Healey). Diamonds are Sierra Leone's most economically important natural resource. The country's mining operations were interrupted during the civil war, when rebels took control of many of the mines.

Conflict diamonds, which made up three percent of the diamond trade in 1999, constitute only one percent of the diamond market now, but one percent of a multibillion dollar business can still buy many weapons used by the rebels (Large). Many people who suffer because of the diamond trade have never seen a diamond in their life. In 1992 following the break down of a peace accord with the Angolan government, a unita army was sent to seize the diamond rich Cuango valley in northern Angola. Diamonds have not always been the main source of revenue for Africa. In the 1950's, gold mines were the main revenue, before diamonds. The entire economy was then geared on gold (Nolen 147). The black miners were not known by their names; a miner was a "unit", with his number tattooed on his fore arm (Nolen 147).

Diamonds from conflict areas in Africa cause bloodshed and fuel rebels by paying for weapons, food, and housing. In an effort to change the way diamonds are sold, the U.N. developed the Kimberly