Diamonds: A Major Source of Conflict

Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy
By John L. Hirsch
-The Kono region in the eastern part of Sierra Leone is very rich in diamonds and also accessible to anyone.
- In the Kono region hundreds of young men dig for diamonds in areas other diggers have already secured.
-Sierra Leone diamonds have financed rebel movements of Foday Sankoh, the leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), and Charles Taylor.
-In the mid-90s, Sierra Leone produced about 300 million to 450 million dollars worth of diamonds, but only about 10% of these diamonds passed through the Sierra Leone government, which means that almost all the diamonds were smuggled through Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire.
-The Sierra Leone Selection Trust (SLST) was graned a ninety-nine year monopoly in 1934. The SLST created discord by demanding that outsiders be removed from mining areas (e.g.Kono) and illicit minging nipped in the bud.
- Just two years later, in 1936, the SLST was permited to have a security force of thirty-five men around the mining areas.
-Illicit mining grew apace in the 40s and 50s as local chiefs obtained the power to decide who would live in Kono.
-Ultimately, these events of corruption are what set the stage for the start of Sierra Leone's civil war in the 90s.

In this book, John L. Hirsch argues that diamonds have posed a major source of conflict in Sierra Leone. One reason that supports this is that he explains how the Kono region is rich in diamonds.  Another reason that supports this is that he explains the SLST's effect on mining areas. Finally he gives the reason that diamond corruption in the 30s is what led to the start of Sierra Leone's civil war in the 90s. These ideas are similar to Syria's civil unrest right now because both deal with corruption and rebellion.