Editorial

In the USA it is “bling bling”, in Sierra Leone it is “bling bang”. The diamonds which are bought every year to create necklaces for wives and mistresses have gone through a deadly path which is unknown. The trading of the ‘World’s Most Precious Stone’, has lead to a bloody and destructive war in Sierra Leone. When traveling to Sierra Leone, there is a muddy, sandy path which seems like it is leading nowhere. However, this path leads to the RUF (The Revolutionary United Front Party). The RUF has been tearing apart western Africa since 1991, when it attacked Liberia. The rebel group has one goal: deliver as many gems as possible, no matter the cost.
It is hard to believe that when you go to Tiffany’s and buy a wedding ring, that you are indirectly purchasing rifles and other mass destructive weapons for the RUF. The daily routine of the RUF is to mass rape, torture, randomly execute, loot and indulge in cannibalism. One of the most ‘famous’ torture methods is to chop off the arms or hands of innocent civilians. This strategy evolved in 1996 when the president of Sierra Leone said that one should ‘join hands’ for peace. That is when the RUF said that the people don’t need to hold hands to create peace, because they will not have hands to create peace. It is estimated that Sierra Leone sells diamonds worth up to 6 billion dollars per year. 80% of these diamonds are sold in the luxury market in the USA.
If Sierra Leone receives 6 billion dollars a year, then where does the money go? This question is one of the key questions when trying to solve the Sierra Leone problem. Sierra Leone should be the Saudi Arabia of Africa, but it’s not. Even though the rebel groups only sell 4-5% of the global output, there is an estimated 3.7 million deaths as a result. The world is taking action, for example the UN spent 612 million dollars only in 2001 to settle in peace. However, the conflict is not loosening up.
The world must take action, and this is only possible by not blending Africa out of the media. In between the sports and the weather, there might be those 3 minutes a month where the country Sierra Leone is mentioned, but mostly due to natural disasters. No one really knows the path of the diamonds and how many innocent children, men and women had to be killed just for the bling-bling. The stone which symbolizes wealth, power, love and honor has to be taken serious. Not in relation to the money, but in the relation to the many people killed. Take action, research your diamond and where it came from! Don’t sit around and look at your reflection, look at the diamond and see if blood has dropped on it.