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Apr 26, 2012 · Taylor armed and assisted fighters in neighboring Sierra Leone in exchange for "blood diamonds." During a brutal war that ended 10 years ago, about 50,000 people died in Sierra Leone.
- Mark Memmott
Apr 12, 2012 · Prosecutors say the Front paid Taylor, 62, using "blood diamonds" from mines under their control, and he paid them back with weapons. He won power in Liberia militarily, and was elected president ...
- Alistair Foster
- Events Leading Up to The Civil War in Sierra Leone
- The Conflict Begins
- Continued Conflict and Political Instability
- End of The War
- War Crimes and Human Rights Violations
- The Natural Resource Curse
- Blood Diamonds: The Fuel Behind The Conflict
Although the Civil War of Sierra Leone did not officially begin until 1991, several events occurred in the decades leading up to the 90’s that ultimately pushed the country into violent conflict. Sierra Leone gained its independence from the UK in 1961 and the following years were marked by significant government corruption, inefficiency, and overa...
With so many people fed up and the country in a desperate situation, a rebel group began to form. This group, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), captured the attention of many individuals with their messages of rebellion. The RUF united with the Liberian rebel group, National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), and on March 23, 1991, the two atte...
The government was once again overthrown in 1997 by a group of military officers, who took control and referred to themselves and their government as the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). The AFRC and RUF united their fight and claimed that the war had ended. Violence in the form of robbery, physical assault, and rape took over throughout ...
RUF and the government of Sierra Leone signed the Lome Peace Accord on March 27, 1999. The commander of RUF, Foday Sankoh, took the position of Vice President of the country and was given control of the national diamond mines as part of the negotiation. Disarmament of the rebel forces did not go as planned and they regained strength in May of 2000....
After 11 years of civil war, more than 120,000 people were killed, and millions more fled the country in response to the violence and insecurity. Over 5,000 children were recruited as child soldiers, drugged, and forced to participate in crimes against humanity. These children were recruited under threats of violence against their families. Young g...
A resource curse occurs when a country rich in natural resources does not experience expected social and economic development. Typically, natural resources foster economic growth. In some cases, however, a country experiences negative social, economic, and political results instead. Sierra Leone is one of the several sub-Saharan African countries w...
The major focus of the RUF and AFRC campaign was to take control of the country’s diamond mines. The diamond mines have been the source of corruption and personal gain by government personnel since the 1930’s. The DeBeers diamond company once financed mining efforts in Sierra Leone and provided a legal export trade route for the valuable gems. They...
- Amber Pariona
Blood Diamonds and War Crimes: the Case against Charles Taylor Spanning just over a decade, the conflict was based largely on control of Sierra Leone’s diamond fields, as it is a country rich in alluvial diamonds that are higher in quality to the neighbouring Liberian diamonds.12 Given their
Aug 5, 2010 · Charles Taylor, Naomi Campbell and 'blood diamonds'. By Channel 4 News. Updated on 05 August 2010. The Kimberly Process was designed to stop the trade in "blood diamonds" but one of the architects ...
Sep 26, 2013 · Taylor gets 50 years for ‘blood diamond’ crimes. The appeals chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone upheld the 65-year-old Taylor’s conviction on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes ...
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Apr 26, 2012 · In proceedings that were widely reported internationally Carole White – former agent to supermodel Naomi Campbell – testified that Campbell talked to Taylor at a 1997 dinner party in South Africa and that Taylor personally promised the supermodel a gift of diamonds. Campbell herself testified to receiving a few “dirty pebbles” the night after the dinner party, but said she did not know ...
