Struggle for Power and Control in Sierra Leone

Struggle for Power and Control in Sierra Leone

We are going to look at the quest for control in Sierra Leone and explain how the need for money and power, have brought about issues of child soldiers, violence and blood diamonds

Sierra Leone

Civil War Erupts1.) During the 80s and 90s, civil war breaks out in Sierra Leone for governmental control

a. Conflict breaks out amongst All People’s Congress (APC) and Revolutionary United Front (RUF)

b. War is costly and the RUF turned to diamonds as a source of money

c. They also recruited children to fight in their armies

The Diamond Trade in Sierra Leone2.) During the civil war in Sierra Leone, people who purchased diamonds in the West unknowingly funded the mission of Foday Sankoh and the RUF

a. These diamonds came to be known as “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds”

b. These diamonds were specifically mined in war zones of Africa to fund the invading army’s efforts.

c. Liberia would trade weapons and training to Sierra Leone in exchange of their diamonds.

Where Are Diamonds Found?

d. Rough diamonds can either be found below the earth’s surface through industrial mining, or in river beds and streams through alluvial mining.e. Mining these diamonds requires only a shovel, a pan, and hard labor to mine.f. Mining diamonds is painful work with miners working under slave like conditions.

g. The RUF force civilians to mine for diamonds and use the money to buy weapons to continue the fighting.

Diamond Mining

• South Africa

• Namibia

• Botswana

• Republic of Congo

• Sierra Leone

Differences Between Legal Differences Between Legal and Illicit Diamonds Minesand Illicit Diamonds Mines

Legal Legal

http://diamonds-usa.com/blog/images/ekati_diamond_mine.jpg

Illicit Illicit

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Sierra_Leone_diamond_mining1.jpg

Why the diamond is such an easily traded commodity?

Large Amount of Wealth in Small

Size

Form of Currency

Blood Diamonds

The Growth of Illicit DiamondsThe Growth of Illicit Diamonds

3. The Illicit 3. The Illicit Diamond trading grew R.U.F into a huge Diamond trading grew R.U.F into a huge businessbusiness; millions of dollars worth of diamonds were ; millions of dollars worth of diamonds were flowing all around the worldflowing all around the world

a. Even though this was happening at the time,a. Even though this was happening at the time, no no one really cared about what was happeningone really cared about what was happening

b. Rebel groups like RUF sell upwards of $300 million worth of diamonds a year

Who’s fighting and for What?4. The RUF need guns and soldiers to continue the fight.

a. Diamonds provide the money for gunsb. Children provide the soldiers for war

5. Why Children?a. Impressionable Impressionable b. No alternativesb. No alternatives

i. Easy to brainwashi. Easy to brainwash i. No family i. No family ii. Given drugsii. Given drugs ii. Need ii. Need

protectionprotection iii. Uneducated iii. Moneyiii. Uneducated iii. Money iv. Obedient iv. Obedient iv. Provide Order iv. Provide Order

From capture to Freedom6. 6. How they are acquired:How they are acquired:Most child soldiers are Most child soldiers are aged between 14 and 18aged between 14 and 18. However, . However, many countries recruit children many countries recruit children as young as 7 to 9 yrs oldas young as 7 to 9 yrs old..

a. a. Abduction/Force, Threatened to cut off limbs, Atrocities against own communities

Jobs:Jobs:Messengers, Spies, Cooks, Mine clearers, Porters, Messengers, Spies, Cooks, Mine clearers, Porters, Sexual slaves, and SoldiersSexual slaves, and Soldiers

“The number of children under the age of 18 who have been coerced or induced to take up arms as child soldiers is generally thought to be in the range of 300,000.” – United Nations

A Global Issue

Nepal

Afghanistan

Chechnya

Columbia

Palestine

Congo

Iraq

Sri Lanka

Sudan Somalia

Thailand

The Gun Cycle Continues• Like the Historical Slave/Gun

Cycle, guns are the product these rebel African groups most want. They often enslave men, women and children to work in the diamond mines or may pay them pennies a day to work.• Once again the diamonds end up

in developed Western Nations, while the rebel groups trade the money they make for the diamonds for more weapons and the cycle continues.

Conflict Free Diamonds?7. Diamonds are small and easy to transport, it is difficult to track all diamonds leaving a given country.

a. Diamonds from conflict regions are often mixed with legitimate diamonds and certified as conflict free.

b. Diamonds are very difficult to track and identify•Though many diamond experts claim that one can examine a diamond and identify its origin down to the very mine or river from which it came, others in the industry claim that smuggling and mixing diamonds from different origins makes it almost impossible to know if the diamond indeed came from a conflict area.

•So will the world ever be completely free of conflict diamonds???

8. Antwerp: The Diamond Capital

a. Once diamonds are smuggled out of a conflict region, they inevitably end up in Antwerp, Belgium, the diamond capital of the world.

b. Annually, half the world’s rough diamonds, an average of $29 billion dollars worth, pass through Antwerp. Other trading centers include New York, Tel Aviv, and Bombay.

c. Sorting experts then categorize and assign value to the diamonds before sending them to cutting and polishing centers to be prepared for resale.

International Initiative: 9. The Kimberley Process

a. In 2003, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a joint initiative developed by governments, the international diamond industry, and civil society, was introduced to help stem the flow of conflict diamonds.

b. The Kimberley Process is a voluntary initiative that requires participants to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict free.

•The diamond industry also voluntarily agreed to implement a System of Warranties, designed to help trace rough diamonds from mining to point of sale.

Recovery in Sierra Leone 2002: British troops left Sierra Leone

and President Kabbah is reelected.

Summer 2002: A Sierra Leone Special Court begins holding a series of war crimes trials that lasted until 2006.

2003: RUF Rebel leader Foday Sankoh died. Many child soldiers, also had to begin a personal

healing process to restore their sense of humanity and to forgive themselves.

10. World Recovery a. In the past decade, over 6 million people from Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have become refugees after being forced from their homes by diamond fueled conflict. An estimated 100,000 child soldiers are in use in various parts of Africa.

b. With all of the conflict diamonds roaming around the Earth, people started to put several different embargos on diamonds in Africa. Also they now have a system to identify the origin of the diamond that you purchase so you know its conflict free

c. Despite UN arms embargoes and diamond certification schemes such as the Kimberley Process, the struggle against child soldiers and blood diamonds will continue

Only when the world comes together as a united front and send help to the countries in Africa and Asia, will these conflicts cease to exist!!!