Conflict Diamonds
Browse Non Conflict Diamonds
The Clean Diamond Trade Act goes into effect January 1st, 2004.
Conflict diamonds are
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.
Rough diamond caches have often been used by rebel forces to finance arms purchases and
other illegal activities. Once diamonds are brought to market, their origin is difficult to
trace and once polished, they can no longer be identified.
The tragic conflicts in Angola and Sierra Leone, fueled by illicit conflict diamonds
smuggling, have already led to action by the Security Council. Under Chapter
VII of the United Nations Charter, targeted sanctions have been applied
against UNITA in Angola and the Sierra Leone rebels, including a ban on
their main source of funding -- illicit diamonds. Diamond sanctions have
also been applied against Liberia but are not yet in effect.
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