The growth impacts of diamond mining in sierra leone igc. Freetown liberated from ruf, most of the diamond mining areas also liberated. It is bordered by the atlantic ocean in the west, by guinea in the north and east, and by liberia in the south. After blood diamonds the moral economy of illegality in the sierra. The peace diamond could transform sierra leones mining trade. Although most of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, sierra leone is also a mining centre.
Gold mining in sierra leone, gold bar, gold dust wholesale. The main technique for recovering the diamonds is alluvial mining. Sierra leone is famed for having huge deposits of gold and diamond. Pastor discovers 706carat diamond in sierra leone village. Science history newsfeed sports magazine the time vault time for kids time edge masthead.
Sierra leone diamond production volume 2018 statista. List of books and articles about sierra leone history. Business news an australian gold and diamond company with operations in west africa is actively seeking additional funding on the london stock exchange alternative investment market in order to allo. Closure of australias only diamond mine sparks flurry of exploration duration. Diamond mining in sierra leone sierra leone news, this. Sierra leone s 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. Though the commander on the ground, brigadier david richards, never received official authorization from london for the project, within six weeks he and his men did the. But after years of diamond mining in africa, that ignorance is unraveling fast as the two worlds collide over the image of diamonds. Sierra leone was a rare case of the blair doctrine bearing fruit. National diamond mining company sierra leonean company. Many diamonds are found in river gravels, especially along the sewabafi river system. Land sierra leone s 350mi 560km atlantic coastline is made up of a belt. From the diamond mine to your finger the history starts with you. Minerals, particularly diamonds, are in fact widely believed to have been one if not the main factor at the root of sierra leone s decadelong civil war in the 1990s.
During sierra leone s 10 year civil war, children were used as combatants and labourers in the diamond mines of koidu in the northeastern district of kono. The section entitled key events in sierra leones history. It is the fourth large purchase the modernday king of diamonds. Industrial and sand based minerals such as coltan, zircon, monazite, rutile, ilmenite, etc.
Unlike most countries on the continent, however, sierra leone has a long history of mining at the smallscale and artisanal level. In sierra leone, a glimpse of a fair trade diamond future. Journalist greg campbell leads the reader down the international diamond trail of brutality, horror, and profit providing an ontheground and inthe mines story of global consequencefirst discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. These gems were and still reamain referred to as african blood diamonds or conflict diamonds. The amount of illegally exported diamonds goes down every year and the amount of legally exported diamonds increases noticeably every year. But due to poor governance and widespread corruption, only a fraction of. Diamonds were first discovered in sierra leones forests almost a century ago. Ruf takes over diamond mining areas in sierra leone. In sierra leone, a glimpse of a fair trade diamond future beth g.
Diamond buying in sierra leone how to buy rough diamonds in sierra leone book 1 ebook. Sierra leone allows miners to sell diamonds up to a certain size, but requires them to turn over larger stones to the government to sell, with the proceeds, in theory, going to the ones who found. Forced slavework in the diamond mining industry has existed for the past years in africas sierra leone. Mining methods range from mechanical grab lines with washing and separator plants to crude hand digging and panning. Bbc news africa children working in sierra leone mines. The most important areas of diamond mining are in the east and southeast of the country, in particular, kono district, which produces more diamonds than other areas of sierra leone. This increase in production occurred at the same time as the diamond mines in. Sierra leone s diamonds fail to benefit those who mine them duration. Kono also refered to as koidu is located in the eastern part of sierra leone, and it is the diamond center of the country.
The way he writes weaves a tale of current events and history with the personal stories of the people he meets. Together, these minerals comprise about threequarters of the countrys total export revenue. Diamond buying in sierra leone how to buy rough diamonds. This statistic shows the production volume of diamonds in sierra leone from 2004 to 2017. Findings on the worst forms of child labor sierra leone. The revolutionary united front rebels in sierra leone tried to overthrow the government, and illegal diamond trade was used to fund the war. Many of these kids are kidnapped by bogus african cartels or abused by the government of the revolutionary united ront ruf. From a pickup truck heading out of freetown, sierra leones recent history is legible in the images that scroll beyond the passengerside. These include both that licenses to mine diamonds are too frequently handed 3 postco nfl ic t, t hs sect or of e diamond i dustry i l kely expa, b from new i erests l g t becom involved in sierra leonean diamond mining and because the government of sierra leone mortgaged the diamond. The curse of diamond mining in sierra leone sierra leone. An australian gold and diamond company seeks funds to mine diamonds in sierra leone in. How the diamond trade is enslaving millions of africans.
Most of the diamond mines illegally export their product which brings them enormous annual incomes. Diamond miners in sierra leone sifting through the sand in search of diamonds. The story is interesting fiction, but it is based upon facts. Global witness organization tries to reveal to the world the role blood diamonds. A person might assume that such an area may be more developed than other towns, but reality is an ironic opposite of that.
First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. Many of those exploited are children, as they are favoured for their smaller hands. To do so, i first present an economic history of the. 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 mining industry of sierra leone accounted for 4. Both sides in the war, particularly the rebel side, funded their operations with konos. With the war over, governments efforts to get them out of the mines and back into schools are proving to be painfully slow. Its land yields diamonds, gold, bauxite, and rutile titanium dioxide. Baoma mining community is the leading wholesale suppliers of gold in sierra leone which offers the best collection of products to its customers. Sierra leone was founded, albeit under british control, with the highest hopes of being a refuge for liberated africans and freed slaves. How a 709carat diamond in sierra leone changed everything. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds.
The name diamond comes from the greek word, adamas meaning unconquerable. Diamond mining, urbanisation and social transformation in sierra. Diamond mining in sierra leone has been documented since the 1930s. That diamond changed and ended many lives, and the story of that stone carries a strong social message. The main source of hard currency in sierra leone consists of the diamond mining. Sierra leone s mining sector accounts for nearly onefifth of gdp and nearly all of exports.
The website of a foreignowned diamond mining company in sierra leone states, our diamonds doing good. Sierra leones diamonds still a source of contention. The main minerals mined in sierra leone are diamonds, rutile, bauxite, gold, iron and limonite. 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. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. War for diamonds executive outcomes in sierra leone. 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.
One of the primary economic activities in sierra leone is mining of its large diamond deposits. When the country received its independence, hopes for the future grew even. Their products include gold bar, rough diamonds, gold dust, au platinum and iron ore. In 2018, sierra leone made a minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Diamonds in sierra leone peri political economy research. This diamond is the second largest ever discovered in sierra leone, with the largest being the 968. The gems value and portability have made controlling the diamond mines. Mining in sierra leone is an important source of diamonds, titanium, bauxite and gold, and has one of the worlds largest deposits of rutile. In providing an historical overview of mining expansion an. In almost every region of sierra leone africa there are diamond mines. Internal conflict crippled the country from the late 1980s onward, culminating in a brutal civil war that took place from 1991 to 2002.