Sierra leone was in the grips of a bloody civil war from 1991 until 2002. May 21, 2012 as sierra leone sheds its image of war and blood diamonds the bbcs mark doyle visits the east of the country to see how investment is helping transform lives. First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. Angolan journalist given suspended jail term over blood diamonds book. Sierra leone was founded, albeit under british control, with the highest hopes of being a refuge for liberated africans and freed slaves. Tracing the deadly path of the worlds most precious stones.
See more ideas about sierra leone, history and sierra leone civil war. A united brethren memorial edition published in 1898 of united brethren missionaries who lost their lives in west africa serving the church. Civil war and the increased risk of this are closely aligned to development. These awful facts about blood diamonds will make your heart.
Sierra leone retained a parliamentary system of government and was a member of the commonwealth of nations. Online shopping for sierra leone from a great selection at books store. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds. Diamonds intensify civil wars by financing militaries and rebel militias. Greg campbell explores the role of diamonds during sierra leones civil war. The ruf was a highly barbaric, taking villages by heavy artillery to gather men for sifting through infested lakes, rivers and digging to find diamonds. The track features a sample of the song diamonds are forever by shirley bassey. Sierra leone, liberia, angola, the republic of congo, cote divoire, the central african republic, and the democratic republic of congo. At one point, he takes the readers focus to a city in sierra leone. First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded. Us national arrested on sierra leone blood diamond charges.
Diamond miners in the kono district of eastern sierra leone have left behind thousands of abandoned mining pits. That diamond changed and ended many lives, and the story of that stone carries a strong social message. It is also a comment on two of the major themes of the countrys historythe relations between the colony krio society and the. Sierra leones war over conflict diamonds began in march 1991 when a few hundred men crossed over the liberian border and attacked towns in eastern and southern sierra leone. The sierra leone peoples party slpp won plurality of seats in parliament and sir. Awardwinning journalist greg campbell traces the deadly trail of these. Sierra leone has experienced substantial economic growth in recent years, although the ruinous effects of the civil war continue to be felt. As sierra leone sheds its image of war and blood diamonds the bbcs mark doyle visits the east of the country to see how investment is helping transform lives.
Journalist greg campbell leads the reader down the international diamond trail of brutality, horror, and profit providing an ontheground and inthemines story of global consequencefirst discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. Sierra leone s traffic in diamonds has left a trail of carnage. Mar 17, 20 life after diamonds highlights the destruction and challenges faced in mining communities in the postwar diamondiferous regions in sierra leone. Despite this, according to amnesty international, the modern blood diamonds or conflict diamonds have a history in the democratic republic of congo, angola, zimbabwe, and sierra leone.
Sierra leone history, west african history, books barnes. Sierra leone is a vacuum of violence, poverty, warlords and misery, a tiny corner of western africa where the wheels have fallen completely off, writes campbell, its politics as raw and unrelenting as the natural environment. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Fittingly diamonds are made of pure carbon, and diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man. List of books and articles about sierra leone history. These awful facts about blood diamonds will make your. The true story of the events that inspired the feature film blood diamond first dis. The most prevalent natural resource in sierra leone is the diamond. It is one of 6 edited books on postconflict peacebuilding and natural resource. Blood diamonds audiobook by greg campbell 9781481565370.
They have funded brutal wars in liberia, sierra leone, angola, democratic republic of congo and liberia that have resulted in the death and displacement of millions of people. The movie blood diamond traces the path of a large pink diamond found in sierra leone in the 1990s by a fisherman working as a slave in a rebelcontrolled diamond mine. The diamond industrys attempt to fight blood diamonds led to the establishment of the kimberley process, an international diamond certification scheme, in 2003. Diamonds have played an important role in the political economy of sierra leone, as was highlighted by the use of conflict or blood diamonds. The book includes biographies and photos of several of isaac newton cain, mary elizabeth mutch cain, mary c. Blood diamonds and millions of other books are available for instant access.
It shows that it is a huge consequence of blood diamonds that it brought into sierra leone. Diamonds that come from conflict areas like those from sierra leone aptly called blood diamonds accounts for about five per cent of global output. During sierra leones civil war 19912002, the countrys diamonds became. While they may seem a symbol of happiness, the reality of the gems is far from. The name diamond comes from the greek word, adamas meaning unconquerable. The story is interesting fiction, but it is based upon facts. A critical history of forest conservation in sierra leone environment in history. Blood diamonds won the colorado nonfiction book of the. Sierra leones civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries 370,000.
It also shows that sierra leone still makes slow progress, in 2016, in such different aspects as, for example, education, health, and human rights, since 1990, which is also the year that conflicts took place in sierra leone. Sierra leone has been a source of and destination for refugees. Sierra leones civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries 370,000 sierra leoneans fled to guinea and 120,000 to liberia. Diamonds from sierra leone is a song by american hiphop artist kanye west. This substantial and thoroughly documented book is a political biography of an important figure in sierra leone. Diamonds from sierra leone peaked at number 43 on the billboard hot 100, and peaked at number 8 on the uk top 40. Feb 25, 2009 sierra leone blood diamond rebels found guilty of war crimes three senior sierra leone rebel leaders notorious for ordering their troops to chop off opponents hands were convicted on wednesday.
Blood diamonds audiobook, written by greg campbell. Diamond miners in sierra leone sifting through the sand in search of diamonds. Id read books about the colonial scramble for africa, about the exploitation of its ivory, rubber and gold, but to learn the history of diamonds was to learn the story of africa all over again. It was released on july 4, 2005, as the lead single of his second studio album, late registration. When i first read about sierra leone, i was shocked. The book is about how the sale of diamonds was used to. Eventually, these very diamonds find their way into the rings and necklaces and brides and spouses the world over. Blood diamonds by greg campbell is the eyeopening story revealing the. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account of the civil war, and narratives from 30 people who describe their experiences as both civilians and fighters. Tracing the deadly path of the worlds most precious stones, published by westview press. The only way that the blood will finally be washed away from conflict diamonds is if there is a true fairtradecertification process that allows conscientious consumers to buy congos artisanal. In just the past two decades, seven african countries have endured brutal civil conflicts fueled by diamonds. In certain ways the movie weve made is very conventional, an action drama about three. What is the history behind blood diamonds sierra leone.
Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. Memoirs of a boy soldier by ishmael beah, the memory of love by aminatta forna, radiance of tomorrow by i. Conflict diamonds also known as blood diamonds are diamonds that are used to fuel violent conflict and human rights abuses. The sorry role the diamond has played in the history of sierra leone, stunningly told by journalist campbell the road to kosovo, 1999. At brilliant earth, we believe it is important to end all violence related to diamond mining, regardless of the circumstances. The history of blood diamonds can be traced from the year 1989 when liberia was under the influence of a civil war. Sierra leone blood diamond rebels found guilty of war crimes three senior sierra leone rebel leaders notorious for ordering their troops to chop. Although the exact date that blood diamonds have been a problem is not known, it is thought to have become a prominent issue around the 1980s. Apr 25, 2017 civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds the civil war in sierra leone has been one of the most grotesque ones in history, and the nations rich diamond reserves have driven much of the violence.
These blood diamonds are smuggled out of west africa and sold to legitimate. Sierra leone blood diamond rebels found guilty of war. Wildlife has vanished, topsoil has eroded, and land once suitable for farming is now a desolate moonscape. In may 1962, sierra leone held its first general election as an independent nation. Campbell, a freelance writer, sets out to rub the noses of diamondlovers in the gore of sierra leones brutal civil war 19912001, in which a rebel army of. Sierra leone is one of the several subsaharan african countries where the presence of natural resources has resulted in political turmoil, violent conflict, and extreme underdevelopment. The sierra leone peoples party slpp won plurality of seats in parliament and sir milton margai was reelected as prime minister. The sierra leonean diamond funded the most notorious, brutal, animalistic and cynical rebel groups ever to have been known in the history of mankind and warfare. In extreme cases, diamond mining can cause entire ecosystems to collapse. Life after diamonds highlights the destruction and challenges faced in mining communities in the postwar diamondiferous regions in sierra leone. The way he writes weaves a tale of current events and history with the personal stories of the people he meets. These blood diamonds are smuggled out of west africa and sold to legitimate diamond merchants in london, antwerp, and new york, often with the complicity of the international diamond industry. These blood diamonds are smuggled out of west africa and sold to.
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