Conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds, are precious stones that symbolize human death and suffering.
These gemstones finance conflicts or terrorist organizations, causing immense human suffering and negatively impacting the environment.
The United Nations defines blood diamonds as rough diamonds mined by rebel groups to fund attacks and terrorist activities.
Despite the Kimberley Process—designed to control the import of blood diamonds—illegal mining of these gemstones continues.
Blood diamonds refer to those mined for profit to fund conflicts, wars, or terrorist organizations. (Illustrative photo: iStock).
A Profitable Business
When discussing blood diamonds, it is primarily about gemstones originating from the African continent.
They are mined in regions plagued by war or conflict to generate profit, which is then used to finance terrorist activities or armed groups committing acts of violence against human rights.
In the 2000s, the blood diamond trade was estimated to account for up to 15% of the global market, dominated by major multinational corporations.
Historically, numerous conflicts have arisen due to the blood diamond trade, particularly during the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Although most of these conflicts have ended, many non-governmental organizations continue to warn about the dire consequences of mining these gemstones.
The Kimberley Process was adopted in May 2000 during a negotiation forum that brought together representatives from dozens of countries, the diamond industry, and civil society. Its goal is to prevent blood diamonds from entering the international market.
However, the effectiveness of this process has been repeatedly questioned by several NGOs, which have accused it of failing to provide adequate consumer safety assurances.
According to an NGO called Global Witness, a founding member of Kimberley withdrew in 2011, and the process has been unable to address social issues, smuggling, money laundering, environmental concerns, or human rights violations related to blood diamonds globally.
In addition to causing severe social consequences, the mining of blood diamonds also devastates the environment.
Mining activities release significant amounts of waste containing cyanide and mercury, which subsequently enter waterways, leading to serious river pollution.
