What did the RUF do with the diamonds they mine?
RUF leaders were very aware that whoever controls the diamond mines controls Sierra Leone, and profits from smuggled diamonds funded its attack. 6, 2000, just seven months after it was signed, RUF revived its attacks on Freetown and Sierra Leone’s government. Despite its promises to surrender its forces, RUF never did.
What is the reason behind the name blood diamonds?
The term is used to highlight the negative consequences of the diamond trade in certain areas, or to label an individual diamond as having come from such an area. Diamonds mined during the 20th-21st century civil wars in Angola, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau have been given the label.
What does RUF stand for in blood diamond?
The Revolutionary United Front
Why did they chop off hands in blood diamond?
Seizing the right arms of their chosen victims, the young pair bring their blades crashing down, severing hands as a warning to the whole village not to challenge their authority. Such horrifying scenes were once common during Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war.
Are Blood Diamonds still a thing?
A lot has been done to address the issue of blood diamonds and conflict diamonds since then, but unfortunately, we still have a ways to go. Historically, the African diamond trade has been riddled with corruption and violence that many people think has subsided following the civil wars of the 1990s and early 2000s.
Is the diamond industry corrupt?
Image is everything to the value of diamonds, yet the industry continues to be tainted by association with human rights abuses like child labour and forced labour, as well as conflict, environmental damage, and corruption. …
Are there still diamonds in Sierra Leone?
Diamonds are found in about a quarter of Sierra Leone in the south-east and east of the country, with the diamond fields cover 7,700 square miles.
What is the biggest diamond found in Sierra Leone?
709-carat