![]() Other mineral-rich countries like Zambia, Mozambique, Mauritania and Guinea, while not at war, present an unnerving paradox of poverty amid plenty. “But because of never-ending war, it is one of the poorest and most traumatized nations in the world.” The DRC, he points out, has an “embarrassment of diamonds, gold, cobalt, copper, tin … trillions’ worth of natural resources” including deposits of tantalum, an element used in computer microchips. Conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan and South Sudan have also been linked to the fight over control of mineral resources.Įast Africa bureau chief of the New York Times Jeffrey Gettleman highlights the curse/blessing dichotomy. That may be an exaggeration, but for the people of the Central African Republic, currently caught up in a war fuelled by diamond mercenaries (see page 11), the statement rings true. One often hears that mineral resources are a curse rather than a blessing. Sadly, West and Central Africa have been fertile grounds for blood diamonds, notes the World Diamond Council, a body that represents the diamond traders. The movie, starring American actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou, brought world attention to the campaign against “blood diamonds,” described as diamonds used to finance conflicts. It depicts kidnappings, use of child soldiers, amputations, rape, killings and destruction of bridges and hospitals, among other atrocities. ![]() ![]() ![]() The Hollywood blockbuster movie, Blood Diamond, tells a gripping story of how diamonds fuelled Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war, which erupted in 1991. ![]()
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