Blood Diamonds Blood Diamonds, also known as Conflict Diamonds, are used in the illegal trading of diamonds to finance conflict, civil wars and human rights abuses in Africa The major source of hard currency in Sierra Leone consists of the diamond mining. The Revolutionary United Front rebels in Sierra Leone attempted to overthrow the government, and an illicit diamond trade was used to fund the war effort. The United Nations identified the issue of African Blood Diamonds being used as a source of funding for the civil wars in Africa in 1998.

What was the cause of the wars?? The main cause of the war within Africa was due to, Political corruption, lack of respect for rule of law, and human rights violations are all common reasons heard for some of the causes of problems.

The three Major involvements of the mar dealt with the Countries of ……  Zimbabwe  Angola  Mozambique

Short Background History on the civil wars in Africa ……..

Angola There have recently been numerous civil wars and conflicts going in Africa, some of which are still going on, including Angola. The war within Angola killed an estimated 500,000 people killed since 1989 and an estimated 3 million refugees. It was torn apart due to resources such as diamonds and offshore oil, with various factions fighting for these prizes, supported by multinational corporations and other governments.

Angola Continued… What was the reason for the wars with Angola? They reason for the war was because of the newly found Movement for the Liberation of Angola was introuduced and gained control of Angola's central government in 1976, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola two separate factions fighting for ascendancy, refused to recognize the new marxist-oriented government.

They eventually won the support of Great Britain, France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and other African nations, while the MPLA was backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba. The continual warfare disrupted Angola's economy and displaced one-sixth of its people, many of whom were forced to become refugees in Zaire, Zambia, and the Congo. Angola continued…

War In Zimbabwe The war within Zimbabwe started because of Liberation of Zimbabwe, which became a joint guerrilla effort to overthrow the governmen black guerrillas operated from bases from areas in Mozambique and made periodic raids in Rhodesia Mozambique closed its 800-mile-long border with Rhodesia, but Rhodesian government troops frequently violated it in "hot pursuit" of guerrillas

War In Zimbabwe contiuned … In 1976, Rhodesian soldiers destroyed a United Nations refugee camp, declaring it was hiding guerrillas. As the violence increased on both sides, the United States and Great Britain tried to negotiate a peaceful settlement; white Rhodesians, however, were unwilling to relinquish political and economic power, and the black Africans were divided by tribal, ideological and political differences.

War In Zimbabwe contiuned … In 1978, guerrillas attacked one of Rhodesia's main cities, Umtali, with mortar fire; in retaliation, the Rhodesian army bombed bases 125 miles within Mozambique in 1978, an agreement was reached on a constitution to transfer power to the black majority. The country's name was changed to Zimbabwe Rhodesia

Zimbabwe War :

War In Mozamibque Mozambique Civil War begun during the 1970s following the 1975 independence. More than five million civilians had been displaced and around 900,000 people are thought to have sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.

War In Mozamibque In 1977 a new resistance movement had been formed by the name of Renamo, the Mozambique Resistance Movement. force was established in order to counter the Frelimo government and to create a hindrance in the flow of goods to neighboring Zimbabwe.

War In Mozamibque During the Mozambique civil war civilians underwent shooting executions, knife, axe and bayonet killings, starvation, burning alive, beating to death, and incessant shooting at village people

End of the Mozambique war On 19th October 1986, the first president of Mozambique, Samora Machel passed away when his aircraft crashed near South Africa's border. After that Joaquim Alberto Chissano, continued Machel's policies of expanding Mozambique's international associations. In 1990, finally the cold war, the support for Renamo collapsed in South Africa, and this led to a new constitution in November Mozambique is presently a multi party state.