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Sierra Leone and effects of Blood Diamonds

Within the Sierra Leone area, there is an inherent security problem that must be addressed. The people in Sierra Leone are affected by the drive for the diamonds within the area by outside forces. Sierra Leone’s problem can be seen easily as a National Security problem but what must also be looked at is the effect on the people of the region.
The people of the revolutionary group RUF which stands for Revolutionary United Front broke across the border from Liberia into Sierra Leone in search of diamonds in the area. The goal was to take the Alluvial Diamonds within the region and extort the weakness of the country and by doing this it created a human insecurity within the region for the people of Sierra Leone. The RUF lead by the Liberian Warlord and President of Liberia Charles Taylor used the power of his presidency to supply this trade. With the large power that the leader would have over the region and the little effect that Sierra Leone could do against them, this would hinder the ability for the people of the region to counter the work done by the RUF. The initial takeover of the region was with just a few hundred in March of 1991 which there was little pushback and from there on the control of the region would be lost. The diamonds of the area are Alluvial Diamonds which did not require many financial needs to remove them so those within Sierra Leone would not have to put much into getting these diamonds but unfortunately this helped the RUF and also can be seen as a drive for them since it had such an easy access rather than the other form of diamond mining called Kimberlite which requires more of a financial investment to acquire.
This would be seen as a National Security threat for Sierra Leone but what is not looked at as much is the effect on the people of the region that would have created a livelihood off of the region or would work for the companies that would collect the diamonds in the region. The RUF robbed not only Sierra Leone of its natural resources but it also took a lot of its economy. This affects those who would have benefitted legally from the collection of these diamonds and now forces them to find another way to provide for themselves and possibly from their families.

The effect on the people not only economic but also comes from the rebels themselves terrorizing the people of the region. The rebels have been found to mutilate the citizens of the area, it is also found that the rebels had certain groups to go out and do this to the citizens. This is not just a tactic used by those of the lower ranks or even intelligence but it would be traced back to the leaders of the RUF and this tactic would lead the people of the region without the ability to support themselves in the future. The tactic was to mutilate them by cutting off their hands and bringing it back to the RUF higher officials and this would take away the citizens ability to work the land which was a common job of the area. They would become refugees and would have to rely on others to support them creating an even worse situation. 

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 19, 2017 at 4:50 PM

    I found your post very information and thorough. It was interesting how you discussed the tactic of mutilation used by the RUF to force people to be reliant on them. Reliance is a difficult situation, especially when it is forced upon people or a country when it could be avoided.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 19, 2017 at 9:44 PM

    I agree with your argument that the conflict in Sierra Leone was more of a human security issue than a national security issue. It seems that the RUF advocated reform of governmental institutions almost as a justification for their brutal actions and monopolization of diamond mining. I think your analysis of the history is good but maybe a little long. I think the important information lies in the RUF's determination of diamonds and the human rights abuses that followed. From reading your blog, a conclusion can be made that the extreme brutality, murder, and immense mutilation of civilians in Sierra Leone became almost preventive/preemptive measures by the RUF in order to monopolize a nation rich in a wealthy resource. This left other mining businesses to be unprofitable in which the RUF not only gained economically but regionally.

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