Blood Diamonds
How are diamonds formed?
Diamonds were formed in the earth's magma millions of years ago. They were pushed up to the surface in kimberlite pipes, where they cooled. Diamonds are made of carbon atoms fused together by great pressure and heat. They are found in the "blue ground" of the kimberlite pipes or in gravel beds and ocean floors.
Who are the RUF?
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was a ruthless rebel group that started a nine year civil war in Sierra Leone and tortured and killed thousands of innocent people.
What caused the civil war in Sierra Leone and
The Sierra Leone Civil War began in 1991, initiated by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under Foday Sankoh. Tens of thousands died and more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) were displaced because of the 9-year conflict. Neighbouring countries became host to significant numbers of refugees attempting to escape the civil war. It was officially declared over on 18 January 2002.
In 1985, Joseph Momoh, a military leader, became president of Sierra Leone. One major opposition group consisted of students including Foday Sankoh, Abu Kanu, and Rashid Mansaray. Many students were expelled from the country and this group fled to Ghana and then Libya where they attended Moammar Qaddafi's secret service military training facility. The group recruited unemployed young men and students, but as the group grew, internal squabbles arose, and many left the group, some students to universities in Ghana, others back to Sierra Leone. However, others (including Kanu, Mansaray, and Sankoh) were still interested in revolution. The group then went to Kono District and toured the diamond mines, talking with workers about their situation, and spreading a revolutionary ideology.Control of Sierra Leone's diamond industry was a primary cause of the war. Although endowed with abundant natural resources, Sierra Leone was ranked as the poorest country in the world by 1998. With the breakdown...
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