Why? I have been struggling with this question since I have started my paper. Usually a question will guide the direction of my paper. Unfortunately, I have been left with more questions than answers. After doing many readings in reference to this subject, I have had a chance to look into the crisis of Sierra Leone and the diamond trade more specifically. The more I investigated the roots of the conflict and crisis the more I have come to understand the reasons for the outcomes. It still leaves me with the aching question, why. Why has there been so much death? Why has it not stopped? Why did it begin? How did it begin? Who is to blame? Will it ever end? These are very important questions, some of which I myself cannot answer. .
This is a very emotional subject for me and I will do my best to put aside all personal biases. .
I will first start with a background on the political situation of Sierra Leone. The civil war in Sierra Leone and the surrounding countries did not just miraculously happen. The problem stems from early on. The struggles in Sierra Leone reflect the struggles of many other countries facing the same economic and political strife. My main concentration in this section will be on the past, what happened to the political situation in Sierra Leone, how it escalated to be as aggressive as it is and has been, how the situation is right now and where it might be going. .
Secondly, I will discuss the situation in Sierra Leone concerning the diamond trade. There has been a power struggle over the conflict of "blood diamonds" in Sierra Leone and surrounding areas for many years. I will discuss how, though the struggle over the diamond trade has elongated the war and has been the predominant factor for civil war in Sierra Leone, the political situation has been the root cause of the struggle.
Thirdly, I will give some insight on the impact the raging war has had over the economy and the people of Sierra Leone.