Consequences+of+the+Diamonds


 *  Consequences of the Diamonds: **

Due to the civil war and the fight over diamond control, Sierra Leone has suffered horrific social and economic costs. The rebels of Sierra Leone have seemed to get away with **multiple murders, rapes, and mutilation** to the people of the country during the time of war. The warfare has taken over 75,000 lives, as well as caused 500,000 of the country’s people to be forced into refugee camps.



Rebels who still have control in the east and north sides of the country are known to rape the women and the girls of the area. The members of the RUF use this as tool of war in order to terrorize the population into submission. Furthermore to the thousands of women who are affected by this drastic tactic, thousands more of women and girls are taken along with the rebels to act as sex slaves to the men. Those who try to escape the horrible treatment from the rebels are killed, although I can imagine that death may seem like the better option; as compared to the conditions in which they are living that happen to consist of being raped, beaten, starved, tortured, and forced to walk long distances carrying heavy loads.

Despite their obligation to turn over the children under the Lome Peace Accord, the rebels have been reluctant to do so. Those who have been able to escape from the rebels suffer a variety of diseases such as STD’S, trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, extreme anxiety, and alienation by their communities and families. An extremely large number of the women who have escaped are pregnant or are now single mothers of what the people of the country call “rebel babies.



Teams have been set up, within the rebels, whose only goals are to capture victims and mutate them in one way or another. The most common mutation is the amupation of their hands. Once the hand is detached, the rebels then put it in a rice bag, and carry them back to their commanders. Due the the violent strategy that the RUF rebels use, many of the surviving are forced into refugee camps. The refugee camps are where the victims are most likely to spend the rest of their lives, considering the fact that most of them are illiterate and have been supporting themselves off of farming.

 Back to Homepage Mason Callahan Works Cited

CHETTLE, JUDITH. "Deadly Jewels : Tracing the deadly trail of 'conflict diamonds,' a veteran journalist shows the havoc and corruption they have wreaked on Africa.(Book Review)." //World and I.// 18. 3 (March 2003): 223. //Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center//. Gale. WCPS/Green Hope High School. 24 Nov. 2009 <[]? &contentSet=IAC-Documents &type=retrieve &tabID=T003 &prodId=OVRC &docId=A98571942 &source=gale &srcprod=OVRC &userGroupName=morr11627 &version=1.0>.

Johnson, Eric. Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone. Stanford. December 6, 2002/ []. November 24, 2009