Africa’s Angola was once a Portuguese colony. Sharing cultures with the masters and gaining independence in 1975, Angola’s political structure immediately collapsed as the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the National Union For The Total Independence of Angola and the National Liberation Front of Angola fought a civil war between each other. Each of these groups sold diamonds native in Africa to former colonists to fund their efforts.
Recognising the diamonds caused much trouble among groups in Africa, the UN had blocked all sales of diamonds from Africa. Unfortunately, we have the Black Market doing the outsourcing for each and every one of us.
Unsuspecting workers mine blood diamonds. They are uncharted, have no official contracts with their employers and oftentimes left to starve or die underneath the mines. The inhuman situation underneath the mines is a big giveaway. These diamonds are then sold in exchange for powerful arms during the conflict between the political parties involved.
Even the Angolan government knows what’s up and is definitely gaining huge benefits from these diamonds. If it were not, then why imprison Rafael Marques de Morais for criminal defamation when he could have been telling the truth?
The journalist released his book Diamantes de Sangue: Corrupção e Tortura em Angola (Blood Diamonds: Corruption And Torture in Angola) published in 2011. He had written allegations against high ranking Angolan government generals and their collaboration with mining companies to gain profit from blood diamonds in exchange for services involving killing, torture and taking over land unrightfully theirs. These include Angolan diamond fields.
Some of these include General Manuel Helder Vieira Dias Junior Kopelipa, a minister of state who tried to get de Morais to answer to court however dismissed the case.
So why try de Morais when you know that you just need a public statement to show that your record is clean? Why show some Iron fist?
And don’t get me started on what the West has to say to this. The US have lots of stakes in Africa’s hydrocarbons sector, facilitated by the Angolan government. The US have condemned de Morais accusations. Or maybe the US is trying to keep a “heroic face” and show itself as a savior?
The US had announced plans to use their attack and surveillance drones to hunt down, disrupt or fully disarm the operations of blood diamonds in different parts of the world. These include collecting information on mining grounds and potentially disarming, disrupting or completely destroying operations.
Yup, that will save the appearance of the US even though it’s so obvious their interests to exploit Africa’s other resources are pretty much obvious.
You might ask who buys these diamonds? Well, check out your latest jewelry shop in Manchester. You’ve probably seen these shops selling engagement rings to men for women. Marriage rings even. The bigger rock, the more you might know that this was mined by a man who might be dead by now, and their employers at war with each other, and the selling of this diamond had funded a massive bloodbath in Africa because you and your spouse want something special to make yourself feel important against the universe.
