Diamonds, their mining and selling, fuel many of the modern wars in Africa. Corruption, organized crime, and indifference are the major reasons why the trading of precious gems that fuel many of Africa's wars still occurs. Some of the major countries that are affected by the diamond trade are Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola, thus raiding the African continent of natural resources causing detriment to their society. The abyss of the diamonds trade runs deep, from the mining pits to the consumer who buys them, the diamond trade in Africa is imposing horrible consequences upon its people.
Diamonds as a commodity harm no one; it is the business surrounding diamonds that harms humanity. There is plenty of corruption in the system and smuggling of the gems is rampant. In places like Sierra Leone, to help fuel wars rebels smuggle diamonds out. The diamonds that come out of countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone are referred to as "conflict diamonds". They are defined by the United Nations as "diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council." These diamonds are illegal and the money fuels the regimes such as in Liberia, or to militias such as Revolutionary United Front or RUF. The RUF organization is best known for cutting off the hands of civilians in Sierra Leone. These organizations are creating a crisis among the African community. The diamond trade, which supports these organizations, allow them to carry out warfare in modern Africa. Action must be taken to help those harmed by this corrupted industry.
Corruption at the government level in Africa is a major reason why the diamond trade is able to fuel the wars that harm the people.