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