The release of the Hollywood film Blood Diamond (directed by Edward Zwick, staring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou) brought to public attention the critical subject of "blood diamonds" or "conflict diamonds", rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance armed conflicts, aimed at undermining legitimate governments.
The fighting fuelled by the trade in conflict diamonds occurs in few Central and West African countries. Many of these countries have large deposits of rough diamonds, which are easier to mine and thus more readily available to smuggle.
The international debate following the film's release has sprung to attention the Kimberley Process, an international certification scheme that regulates the trade in rough diamonds. The aim of the Kimberley Process is to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds, while helping to protect the legitimate trade in rough diamonds.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme outlines the provisions by which the trade in rough diamonds is to occur.
Recent Peace Agreements negotiated in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia may be too fragile and their prospects for saving the conflict situation are not promising enough. Implementation of the Kimberley Process is an important contributor to maintaining the peace, by helping to deny resources to rebel movements and by strengthening legitimate governments.
In order to help support the Kimberley Process and the prevention of trade in conflict diamonds, it's important to buy diamonds only from reputable retailers and to double check that the stones were traded according to the Kimberley Process' restrictions.
