BLOOD DIAMONDS FUELING CIVIL WARS
Blood diamonds are 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. Diamonds intensify civil wars by financing militaries and rebel militias. Rival groups also fight with each other to control diamond-rich territory. The tragic result is bloodshed, loss of life, and shocking human rights abuses – from rape to the use of child soldiers.
Diamonds that fuel civil wars are often called “blood” or “conflict” diamonds. Although many diamond-fueled wars have now ended, conflict diamonds remain a serious problem. In 2013, a civil war erupted in the Central African Republic, with both sides fighting over the country’s diamond resources. Thousands of people have died and more than a million have been displaced. In addition, past wars fueled by diamonds have taken about 3.7 million lives. Millions of people are still dealing with the consequences of these wars: friends and family members lost, lives shattered, and physical and emotional scars that will last generations.
FURTHER READING
New York Times
To Prevent Conflicts, Look to Commodities like Diamonds
CBS News
History Channel documentary
Amnesty International
YouTube
VIOLENCE BY GOVERNMENTS
Diamond mining is plagued by shocking violence, from killings to sexual violence to torture. Often, rebel groups are responsible for this violence. But governments and mining companies also commit atrocities in Africa’s diamond fields, frequently in countries that are not at war. At Brilliant Earth, we believe it is important to end all violence related to diamond mining, regardless of the circumstances.
The diamond industry’s attempt to fight blood diamonds led to the establishment of the Kimberley Process, an international diamond certification scheme, in 2003. Unfortunately, the Kimberley Process only places a ban on diamonds that finance rebel militias in war-torn countries. When diamond miners are killed or physically harmed by their own governments, or by security guards working for mining companies, the Kimberley Process rarely takes action. Instead, it certifies these diamonds as conflict free and allows them to be shipped to consumers worldwide.
FURTHER READING
Wall Street Journal
Reuters
Army abuses Zimbabweans to control diamond fields – Human Rights Watch
Columbia News Service
Guilt-free diamonds: beyond blood to human rights
The Guardian
