Blood diamond facts for kids
Blood diamonds are diamonds that are mined in countries during a time of war. They are also called conflict diamonds. These diamonds are sold to get money to pay for the war. This money often goes to rebel groups or invading armies.
The term "blood diamond" is used to show the terrible harm caused by the diamond trade in some places. It also labels a diamond as coming from one of these areas. Diamonds from civil wars in countries like Angola, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia have been called blood diamonds. Other natural resources that are used to fund wars are called conflict resources.
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How Diamonds Can Fuel Wars
When a country is at war, valuable resources like diamonds can be used to buy weapons and fund soldiers. This is especially true for diamonds because they are small, light, and very valuable. It makes them easy to smuggle and sell.
Easy-to-Get Diamonds
There are two main ways to mine diamonds. Some diamonds are deep underground in rock called kimberlite. Mining these requires large, expensive machines and a lot of workers. It's hard for rebel groups to control these kinds of mines.
Other diamonds are found in rivers and soil. These are called alluvial diamonds. They can be mined with simple tools like shovels and pans. This makes it easy for rebel groups to take over these areas and force people to mine for them. The money from these diamonds helps the rebels keep fighting. This is why countries with alluvial diamonds, like Sierra Leone, have had more problems with conflict diamonds than countries like Botswana, where diamonds are mined from kimberlite.
Funding the Fight
Sometimes, rebel groups or governments would make deals to sell diamonds they didn't even have yet. They would promise future diamonds from mines they hoped to capture. This allowed them to get money for weapons right away, making wars last longer and causing more suffering.
History of Blood Diamonds
In the 1980s, it was estimated that about one-fifth of all diamonds were sold to fund illegal activities and wars. By the late 1990s, this number dropped. Today, groups like the World Diamond Council say that over 99% of diamonds are from conflict-free sources. However, the problem has not gone away completely.
Angola
During its long civil war, the rebel group UNITA sold diamonds to pay for its fight against the government. Even after the United Nations tried to stop this, UNITA found ways to keep selling diamonds. A Canadian ambassador named Robert Fowler wrote a report in 2000 that showed how they were doing it. This report helped create the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to stop the trade in conflict diamonds.
Sierra Leone
The Sierra Leone Civil War from 1991 to 2002 was incredibly brutal. A rebel group called the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) took control of diamond mines to fund their war. The RUF was known for its extreme violence against civilians, including children. They would harm people to scare them and stop them from supporting the government.
The RUF mined millions of dollars worth of diamonds each year. These diamonds allowed them to buy weapons and continue the war. Even though the war is over, Sierra Leone still faces many problems. Many communities in diamond-rich areas, like the Kono District, remain very poor, without basic things like electricity or good roads.
Liberia
Liberia had a civil war from 1989 to 2003. Its president at the time, Charles G. Taylor, was accused of helping rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone. He gave them weapons in exchange for diamonds. In 2001, the United Nations banned the sale of diamonds from Liberia.
After the war, Taylor was put on trial in The Hague. In 2012, he was found guilty of breaking the rules of war and was sent to prison. Today, Liberia is at peace and is part of the Kimberley Process. However, there are still concerns about child labor in some of its diamond mines.
Ivory Coast
The Ivory Coast had a civil war that started after the government was overthrown in 1999. The country became a route for smuggling diamonds from Liberia and Sierra Leone. To stop this, the UN banned all diamond exports from the Ivory Coast in 2005. The ban was lifted in 2014 after the country became more stable.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has had several wars since the 1990s. The country is a major diamond producer and has been part of the Kimberley Process since 2003. However, there have been problems with fake Kimberley certificates, meaning some conflict diamonds from the DRC might still be sold.
Trying to Stop the Trade
Many people and organizations have worked to stop the sale of blood diamonds. They want to make sure that when people buy a diamond, they are not paying for a war.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme
In 2000, diamond-producing countries met in Kimberley, South Africa. They wanted to create a system to stop the trade in conflict diamonds. This led to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which started in 2003.
Under the KPCS, member countries agree to trade diamonds only with other member countries. Each shipment of rough diamonds must have a special certificate that says it is from a conflict-free source. The goal is to track diamonds from the mine to the store. This has helped countries like Sierra Leone to legally export more diamonds and earn money for their people.
Does the Kimberley Process Work?
The Kimberley Process has had some success. It has made it harder for rebel groups to sell diamonds. However, some groups, like Global Witness, have said the system has failed. They left the scheme because they felt it wasn't doing enough.
One problem is that the KPCS only focuses on diamonds sold by rebel groups. It does not cover diamonds from areas where governments are harming their own people. Also, corruption can be a problem. Sometimes, officials can be paid to give fake certificates to blood diamonds, making them seem legitimate.
Government Actions
United States Policy
The United States is the world's biggest buyer of diamonds. In 2003, the U.S. passed the Clean Diamond Trade Act. This law made the Kimberley Process part of U.S. law. It bans the import of any rough diamonds that do not have a Kimberley certificate. This was a big step in supporting the global effort against conflict diamonds.
Canadian Policy
Canada is a major diamond producer and was a key supporter of creating the Kimberley Process. Canada passed its own law, the Export and Import of Rough Diamonds Act, in 2002. This law controls how diamonds enter and leave the country, making sure they are all certified.
The Northwest Territories in Canada also has its own special certificate for diamonds that are mined, cut, and polished there. This gives buyers extra proof that their diamond is from a conflict-free source.
See also
In Spanish: Diamantes de sangre para niños
- List of diamonds
