Future of Blood Diamonds in Angola
Conflict diamonds have often been used by rebel forces to purchase arms and used for other illegal activities. Neighbouring countries are also being used as trading grounds for these conflict diamonds. Once the diamonds are brought to market, their origin is difficult to trace and once their polished, it is nearly impossible to identify their
origins.
origins.
Some of the people that need to take action against these Blood Diamond profiteers are governments, non-governmental organizations, diamond traders, financial institutions, arms manufacturers, social institutions, and other civil society groups all need to combine their efforts and demand the strict enforcement of sanctions to encourage real peace.
The long suffering of the people of Angola has raised the international community's awareness of the need to cut off sources of funding for the rebels in order to promote a long lasting peace in countries that are effected, any opportunity to do so can’t be wasted. There has been attempts to stop the smuggling of conflict diamonds into the market for example the international diamond industry is already taking steps towards a respond. If their plan was fully implemented it would stand to increase the diamond industry's ability to block conflict diamonds from reaching the market. The United nations have also been forced to action by this conflict, they have already targeted sanctions that have been applied against the rebels in Angola, the sanctions include a ban on the rebels main source of income, blood diamonds. The diamond sanctions have also been applied against Liberia rebels but are not yet in effect. With all of these plans from so many different organizations working against the blood diamond trade, the future of smuggling blood diamonds into the market for rebel funding should slow down significantly, if not stop altogether. The future for the people of Angola seems promising with all of these factors coming together to stop the illegal trade of blood diamonds.
Future of Blood Diamonds in Liberia
Blood diamonds are still a big deal in Liberia. Although it is not as bad as it was the blood diamonds are still causing deaths and killing under the radar. Although this is true, it is good to know that recent efforts have decreased the smuggling and trading of blood diamonds for weapons in Liberia. This is because of the recent conviction of Charles Taylor who was the Liberian president who strongly supported the mining of the blood diamonds. Now that he is out of the picture there is a bright future ahead for the blood diamond conflict in Liberia and with this the possible ending of the Sierra-Leone war because the rebels also relied on the blood diamonds for money to get their weapons.