Even diamond mining outside the conflict zones is also extremely sad. It mostly engages underage children, low paid workforce and definitely in hazardous conditions. Death in such mines is hardly reported.
It altogether involves brutality in all possible ways. But unfortunately, largely under the nose of the sovereign State and very sadly, under the full view of the global governance institutions, this has been happening till date.
But can we stop the half-fed miners from what they are doing nowIJ Without giving an alternative for their livelihood, it is just not possible. For all of them, living is more important than living and earning with dignity
It is purely unlikely that Africa’s woes will come to an end one fine day. The resource-rich continent will not probably see a world full of hope, life and liberty sooner or later. And the “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds” are adding fuel to the fire and fury of Africa’s endless tragedies.
Blood diamond or conflict diamond is a term used for a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance rebel or militia groups or a warlord’s activities. As of today, these diamonds have directly funded brutal wars in African nations like Sierra leone, Angola, liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Central African Republic (CAR).
But diamonds are not just diamonds, they symbolise something to eat and live for some more years, in many parts of poverty-stricken Africa. The continent is the home to more than 65 per cent of the world’s diamonds and it is the business of about $81.4 billion a year.
A slew of heinous crimes are being committed by ruthless warlords for their survival in the process of extracting the diamonds from the mines. Yes, of course many of the African nations are just overlooking the exploitations that are taking place in vast diamond mines spreading across the continent. The reason is: a sizeable number of these precious mines are either owned by the cronies of the political leaders or under their indirect control.
More than that most of the politicians are no other than former rebels or warlords and, hence, they have a vested interest in managing the mines for their survival or for their own armies.
Then why will these nations speak up against the huge business of “blood diamonds”IJ
The rest of the rich nations or diamond merchants are not interested in pursuing the pros and cons of the process of diamond mining, it seems.
The continent’s uber class customers are in no mood to find out the roots of these precious gems as they simply want them to add to their haute couture. Alas! Who will think about the fate of millions of diamond miners, mostly under-aged children, leaving behind their home, childhood, school and a future, who are simply doing this work for their survival.
If an adequate system of checks and balances are all at play, it is predicted that the poor diamond workers will not be able to live a living.
Now, let’s take a look at how an international initiative that came up in 2003 known as the “Kimberley Process” to stem the roots of these conflict diamonds. It is popularly known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) which lays down a detailed procedure of certification to prevent the conflict diamonds from entering the global market of rough diamonds.
Indeed, it was done with the help from the United Nations Security Council resolution number 55/56. But, how it all unfolded takes all of us back to the Angolan war of Independence spanning from 1961 to 1975 that saw the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) fighting alongside the Popular Movement for the liberation of Angola (MPlA). But then, the UNITA launched its fight against the MPlA in the bloody Angolan civil war that took place from 1975-2002.
In fact, the Angolan civil war turned out to be a precursor in bringing out a global mechanism to stop the menace of the blatant violation of particularly the child labour norms, general labour standards and human rights, while mining and marketing the rough diamonds.
Good sense prevailed at last.
It came to the light that many of the warring lords in Africa were sponsoring their conflicts through the sale of the proceeds coming from the diamonds. Therefore, the UN imposed sanctions on the (UNITA) way back in 1998 through the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSC) 1,173.
However, Robert Fowler, who led the enquiry into the activities of the UNITA, brought the historic “Fowler Report” in 2000. Thus, this report became an eye-opener for the world body and it was established that the rebels of UNITA actively funded their war efforts through the sale of rough diamonds in the international market.
Following the recommendations of the Fowler report, the UN wanted to rein in on a number of rebel groups, but then the enforcement of the report was a problem, which finally forced the Southern African diamond producing States to convene a meeting at Kimberley, Northern Cape in May 2000.
The same year in September, the KPCS was established. By December, the UN General Assembly resolution 55/56 came for unveiling a certification system for rough diamonds. Further, by January 2003, the UNSC issued resolution 1,459 to support the parent organisation for global system of certification for the rough diamonds.
last month, the KPCS has completed 14 years of its foundation. With the coming of the path-breaking KPCS, the international community must be aware of the actual working of this process and how it really mattered to check the macabre cruelties involved for decades in many countries of the world.
Even after the establishment of the Kimberley Process, conflict diamonds are still traded out of the CAR, amid a genocidal war continuing in that country.
Therefore, the Global Witness, an NGO based in the UK which relentlessly campaigns for a fair trade in diamond, is not at all happy with the certification process of the KPCS. The organisation points out major loopholes in the KPCS. Again, Ian Smillie, one of the pioneers of the Kimberley Process and an authority on conflict diamonds, says that it does not go farther to stop the illicit diamonds.
Unfair labour practices and human rights abuses don’t disqualify diamonds under the protocol, while the definition of the conflict diamond is so narrow as to exclude many instances of what consumers would think of as a conflict diamond. But then the silver lining for preventing the blood diamond trade is the millennial consumers who obviously look for more than the 4Cs i.e. the classic Cut, Carat, Clarity and Colour in the gems they are purchasing.
This ethical sense of shopping can go a long way in checking the sale of blood diamonds.
It might so happen that the beautiful diamond jewellery around your neck and on your fingers are still coming from the war-torn zones of Africa. These gems may still be dug by the slave children facing extreme dangers, just for a square meal to survive.
Who knowsIJ The international human right groups, civil rights activists and experts in the field say that the KPCS is not been able to stop the game of blood diamonds yet in full. Gradual and silent violation of the Kimberley Process has been under way since its inception. Simply put, the global diamond market, unlike any other goods, is full of a chain of crooks, thugs, underworlds’ largely controlled by rebels and current leadership in many diamond-rich nations of Africa.
It may continue unless the conflict zones come under complete surveillance of international forces under the UN which can put a full stop to the illegal mining of diamonds. What brings the major challenge to the KPCS is that it is very difficult to draw the line between the diamonds emerging from conflict zones and the other areas. Because, once a diamond is polished, it looks the same for an ordinary customer. Beyond all these, if the Kimberley process is implemented in full scale, then what will happen to the huge labour force, mostly children, who are solely earning their livelihood from these minesIJ
Even diamond mining outside the conflict zones is also extremely sad. It mostly engages underage children, low paid workforce and definitely in hazardous conditions. Death in such mines is hardly reported.
It altogether involves brutality in all possible ways. But unfortunately, largely under the nose of the sovereign State and very sadly, under the full view of the global governance institutions, this has been happening till date.
But can we stop the half-fed miners from what they are doing nowIJ Without giving an alternative for their livelihood, it is just not possible. For all of them, living is more important than living and earning with dignity.
Therefore, the time has come for “ethical shopping” so as to check the cruel and illegal process of rough diamond mining across Africa. While saving means of living for many poor and underprivileged, we need to stop an inhuman process of diamond mining in this continent.
(The writer teaches Sociology at OP Jindal Global University in Sonepat)