| Diamonds and the continuous perpetration of war | | | | order for the measures to be effective. |
| and violence in the countries of Africa have been | | | | From 2000 until last year, the UN has carried out |
| involved in a long and arduous cycle over so | | | | many studies and imposed sanctions on individual |
| many years. The story is basically the same for | | | | countries and rebel groups involved in the mining |
| many different countries. Rebel factions launch | | | | and trading of blood diamonds and diamond wars. |
| wars against the government. To fund their | | | | Key countries which have had sanctions brought |
| activities, their main action is to take control of | | | | upon them are Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and |
| the diamond rich areas in their country and force | | | | the Ivory Coast for their involvement in diamond |
| the people to mine diamonds for them, hence the | | | | wars. Sanctions came in the form of arms |
| term diamond war. The rough diamonds are then | | | | embargoes, travel, and financial restrictions |
| smuggled out to other countries and sold to the | | | | especially for known leaders of the rebel groups. |
| world market. In the midst of this struggle, it is | | | | The UN has also come up with a monitoring |
| the common people who suffer. They are the | | | | mechanism for the countries involved. This |
| ones caught in between the cycle of violence. | | | | monitoring mechanism aims to address the traffic |
| Though this has been the reality, for over a | | | | of diamonds as well as arms - diamonds going out |
| decade, the international community was unable, | | | | of the said countries and arms coming in from |
| or unwilling, to do anything about it. | | | | Eastern European countries. |
| Diamond War Recognition | | | | Diamonds Wars Continue |
| It was only in December 1, 2000 that the United | | | | Despite the continuing efforts of the UN to curb |
| Nations came up with a resolution to deal with the | | | | this illicit trade, reports show that the mining of |
| situation. Finally, the suffering of the African | | | | blood diamonds still occur. This is especially true |
| people became too much to ignore. The UN | | | | for the countries with rebel controlled areas. |
| formally recognized the role that blood diamonds | | | | Somehow, blood diamonds still find a way out of |
| play in fuelling the wars and conflicts in Africa and | | | | these countries and into the world market. |
| decided to take some measures in order to put a | | | | Somehow, arms still find their way into the rebels'' |
| stop to the vicious activities there. | | | | hands. As the UN itself stated, everyone must |
| In the UN General Assembly resolution, it was | | | | participate and be vigilant in this fight against |
| made clear that sanctions were needed in order | | | | conflict diamonds. From the international diamond |
| for the illegal mining and trading of diamonds to | | | | market, to the local officials'' everyone must give |
| stop. The idea was that if only legitimate | | | | his two cents worth in order for real progress to |
| diamonds were mined and sold, it would cut off | | | | be made. Until that happens we must live with the |
| the funds of the rebels and thus contribute to | | | | reality that everyday, people and children are |
| peace and ultimately, development. The UN | | | | being abused, maimed, and killed in the name of |
| asserts that everyone involved must participate in | | | | blood diamonds. |