The Movie "Blood Diamond" and the "Resource Curse"

The movie "Blood Diamond" is a film set against the backdrop of the civil war in Sierra Leone, Africa, depicting the reality of how "conflict diamonds" funded the war and caused suffering for the people.

Although the civil war has ended, the "resource curse" remains a challenge to this day.

💀 What is the resource curse?

If you think about it normally, countries with plenty of profitable resources like oil or diamonds should become wealthy, right? But in reality, that often doesn't happen, and ironically, it is called a "curse."

Simply put, the reason is that natural resources become "easy money," which prevents industrial diversification, hinders healthy economic development, and leads to political corruption.

Sierra Leone, the setting of "Blood Diamond," is still one of the poorest countries in the world despite its abundant diamond production, which makes the fear of the curse very real. However, it is not simply the case that Sierra Leone was "cursed because it had diamonds." There are complex circumstances involved.

💎 Sierra Leone and conflict diamonds

Sierra Leone gained independence from Britain in 1961, but it was followed by a period of dictatorship where a few people in power treated the country as their own private property. Amidst this, the rebel group "Revolutionary United Front (RUF)" launched an armed uprising, and the civil war began. "Blood Diamond" is set against the backdrop of this civil war.
In this environment, the rebel group "Revolutionary United Front (RUF)" launched an armed uprising, and the civil war began. "Blood Diamond" is set against the backdrop of this civil war.

The film's protagonist, Solomon (Djimon Hounsou), is kidnapped by the RUF and forced to work in a diamond mine. Diamonds mined in this way are "blood diamonds"—"stained gems" that fund armed conflict, also known as "conflict diamonds".

Solomon, who hid the mined diamonds and escaped from the RUF, meets former mercenary Danny (Leonardo DiCaprio) in prison. Danny cooperates with Solomon for the sake of the diamonds, and they head toward the hiding place amidst the war. This thrilling depiction is one of the highlights of the film. Danny had been involved in arms smuggling and black-market deals, but his encounters with the family-oriented Solomon and Maddy (Jennifer Connelly), a journalist trying to expose the injustice of diamond smuggling, began to change his heart.

🌏 The Kimberley Process and conflict-free

The civil war in Sierra Leone finally ended in 2002.
Starting in 2003, the "Kimberley Process", an international certification system to exclude conflict diamonds from the market, was launched.
This led to diamonds without certificates being excluded from the market as "black-market diamonds."

However, in reality, there are cases where they flow into the market through smuggling or forged documents, and problems still remain, such as other resources (gold and cobalt) becoming new sources of conflict funding.

As consumers, it is important to choose "conflict-free" (not derived from conflict) diamonds when purchasing them. Reputable jewelry shops and brand websites should have explanations regarding conflict-free sourcing.

Sierra Leone today is still heavily affected by the civil war and the Ebola outbreak, and poverty remains a serious issue. Even so, having overcome the civil war and regained peace, Sierra Leone is working hard to improve the country, even if only a little at a time.

Africa can feel distant compared to the West.
Sometimes, through movies, we should take the time to think about the various issues facing Africa.