Diamonds are a curse and a blessing for Sierra Leone. The same resource that could help make the country one of the richest in Africa contributed to the civil war that left more than 20,000 dead. What part did diamonds play in the conflict? Does the experience of Sierra Leone have any implications for other countries?
The influence of diamonds on the civil war until the reinstatement of incumbent President Kabbah in February 1998 is explored in this paper. For many years successive governments have been accused of mismanaging proceeds from Sierra Leone’s resources, and by the early 1990s the country was one of the poorest in the world. The resulting fiscal and economic policies only increased anti-government sentiments. This discontent, combined with other sub-regional developments, led to the formation of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) which launched an anti-government rebellion in March 1991.
The Sierra Leone experience highlights some of the issues that seem likely to dominate Africa’s security debate in the coming decades, especially the role of mercenaries and regional peacekeeping mechanisms. The study also offers the following conclusions:
- Within the national army, some soldiers funded themselves either by directly mining and selling diamonds, exchanging weapons with rebels for diamonds or allowing rebels to take over mining sites.
- The RUF is alleged to have sold access to diamond sites to Lebanese businessmen and, despite denials from both parties, allegations have been made that the RUF, using funds from diamond resources, employed the NGO International Alert to improve its image.
- Many observers believe that the arrival of foreign mercenaries, Executive Outcomes, tilted the balance of the war in favour of the government and attribute President Kabbah’s overthrow in 1997 to his decision to cancel the arrangement.
- Nigeria’s military assistance to Kabbah’s government was viewed by many Sierra Leoneans as a means for diamond looting. Indeed, many Nigerians saw the commitment to regional peace made by the late Abacha regime as a smoke-screen for diamond deals made with Kabbah.
Diamonds were instrumental in creating, sustaining and heightening the war in Sierra Leone and frustrating the search for peace. The Sierra Leone conflict, and others in the region like the Ogoni crisis in Nigeria, confirm the link between resources, governance and civil society. Policy considerations for countries facing the threat of resource-based conflict include the need for:
- Better management and improved accountability in the handling of state resources.
- An evaluation of regional security mechanisms, especially in situations where the United Nations have shown either disinterest or inability to manage regional crises.
