Detailing allegations of more than 500 cases of torture and 100 killings carried out. Blood diamonds, corruption and human rights in angola. Based on this act, it violated 1991 bicesse accords. Corruption and torture in angola, represents a freespeech victory for a nation where the government has long been accused of corruption and mismanagement of oil and diamond riches. May 28, 2015 the case centred on marquess 2011 book, blood diamonds. Marques book, which was published in portugal in 2011, is a chilling account of systematic.
The ovimbundu lived in the parts of the country in which the diamond mines were found, and next to oil, diamonds were the most valuable resource in. Corruption and torture in angola, represents a freespeech victory. At one point, the report asserts, unita was the single largest producer of diamonds in angola. The cash that it earned was used to finance the war. According to african business reporter chris gordon,since 1992,most of angola s diamonds have been illegally produced and smuggled to zaire and antwerp. Torture and corruption in angola, details 500 alleged cases of torture and 100 killings in a diamondmining district in angola. Unitas 20year war with the angolan government is financed by the sale. The book about angolan blood diamonds that landed rafael marques in court. The book forms part of the testimony presented to the angolan attorney general. Founded in 1966, unita fought alongside the popular movement for the liberation of angola in the angolan war for independence 19611975 and then against the mpla in the ensuing civil war 19752002. Blood diamonds also called conflict diamonds, brown diamonds, hot diamonds, or red diamonds are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading armys war efforts, or a warlords activity. Over the years, other countries, including cuba and south africa, have funded the rebels or fought in angola. Corruption and torture in angola detailed more than 100 alleged killings and torture of civilians and workers at diamond mines owned by senior.
Corruption and torture in angola, which detailed more than 100 killings and hundreds of cases of torture allegedly perpetrated by. Analysing how conflict diamonds affected unitas war effort is important because this helps us better understand the broader topic of how natural resources affect. Awardwinning journalist greg campbell traces the deadly trail of these diamonds, many of which are brought to the world market by fanatical enemies. The book detailed cases involving the murder of more than 100 people, and more than 500 tortured. Christian sect killings in angola shrouded in fear and mystery. Censored book about corruption in angola now available on.
National union for the total independence of angola unita and its ally. International pressure helped end a vicious civil war a. Cafunfo, angolaon paper, angola is a poster child for the global effort to keep blood diamonds out of the worlds jewelry stores. A prominent angolan journalist has been given a sixmonth suspended jail term for defaming army generals in a book that revealed killings and torture in. Torture and corruption in angolain portugal in 2011, he knew the book was bound to make wavesbut he could have little idea how drastically it would shape the next several years of his own life. Angolan gets suspended sentence for blood diamond book. Torture and corruption in angola in portugal in 2011, he knew the book was bound to. Blood diamonds and nonstate actors vanderbilt university. Jun 03, 2015 reporters without borders rsf is facilitating access to blood diamonds.
In 20, a civil war erupted in the central african republic, with both sides fighting over the countrys diamond resources. The angola government had purchased diamonds from unita a rebel group supported by the united states which would then be exported as their own, with both parties profiting off blood diamonds. Unita uses the profits from selling the rough diamonds to purchase arms and ammunition to conquer the mpla and gain complete control over angola. Torture and corruption in angola, published in portugal in 2011. C te divoire, economy of angola, economy of sierra leone, blood diamond, angolan civil war, sierra leone civil war, charles taylor, kimberley process certification scheme, jonas savimbi, unita, global witness, robert fowler, marange diamond. But there was little, if any, enforcement by member states and unitas control of many of angolas diamond producing areas allowed the movement to finance its operations with illegal diamonds. Angolan blood diamonds the role of the european union and. To inform my audience about one of the most bloodiest events in human history.
Ever since its publication in 2011, marques has been hounded by army generals involved in the mining industry because it exposes human rights abuses in angolas. Torture and corruption in angola in portugal in 2011, he knew the book was bound to make wavesbut he could have little idea how drastically it would shape the next several years of his own life. The hawaii five0 2010 episode kalele revolves around the smuggling of conflict diamonds. During the final years of the civil war in angola, unita relied on diamond sales to fund its military activities. In 1993, a former south african apartheid army officer, fred rindel, helped unita leader jonas savimbi establish diamond sales to a debeers subsidiary with offices in antwerp and tel aviv. The role of the european union and the kimberley process. The combined forces of the popular movement for the liberation of angola mpla, the. Reporters without borders rsf is facilitating access to blood diamonds. And all along, it was diamond consumers in the west who were unknowingly funding this twodecade civil war. Bbc news africa unita denies angola diamonds claim. The book documented the human rights abuses and killings in angola at the hands of the military.
Angola is a country with great wealth and enormous poverty. Diamonds are a multibillion dollar business involving some of the worlds largest mining companies, a million and a half artisanal diggers, more than a million cutters and polishers and a huge retail jewellery sector. A civil war has brutalized angola, raging since the 1960s fight for independence from portugal. Nov 20, 2002 in angola, the former rebel movement unita has reacted angrily to a united nations report accusing it of retaining unknown quantities of weapons and illicit diamonds. The book tells the reader everything about angola, a country that had entered and left the news since 1975, when it began the beginning of its civil war of nearly 30 years, through its blood diamonds that were used for supporting the war and the huge amounts of oil and lng. The ovimbundu lived in the parts of the country in which the diamond mines were found, and next to oil, diamonds were the most valuable resource in angola. The two main groups responsible for the attrocities in sierra leone and angola are the rufrevolutionary united front in sierra leone and unita national union for the total independence of angola in angola. Unitas gory conquest for diamonds has coined the term blood diamonds and conflict diamonds, referring to the diamonds that it has purchased to finance the war. Jun 09, 20 though ongoing, the issue faded from public awareness until 2011 when angolan journalist and human rights activist rafael marques published blood diamonds. Following is a timeline of recent major events in three african countries sierra leone, angola and the democratic republic of congo involving conflict diamonds. Founded in 1966, unita fought alongside the popular movement for the liberation of angola in the angolan war for independence 19611975 and then against the mpla in the ensuing civil war.
Blood diamonds is a thriller fiction book title by jon land, 2002. But behind the sparkle of the diamond lies a murkier story, in which rebel armies in angola, sierra leone and the congo turned to diamonds to finance their wars. Guard at an illegal diamond mine in angola during the. The fowler report claimed that in 1999, around the time global witness. Angolan blood diamonds the role of the european union. Although many diamondfueled wars have now ended, conflict diamonds remain a serious problem. In the early 1990s, unita controlled the diamondproducing regions of northeastern angola, allowing it to purchase weapons on the international market. Angola investigates top generals in blood diamonds case. However, the popular movement for the liberation of angola mpla, the national union for the total independence of angola unita, and the national liberation front of angola fnla, fought in a civil war lasting 27 years from 1974 to 2001. The worlds toughest prisons colony 100, kharkiv, ukraine prison documentary duration. Not only does this issue involve the politics of the diamond trade and the involvement of outside parties, but it is also a devastatingly serious human rights violation to the civilians of angola. Angolan journalist given suspended jail term over blood diamonds book. Diamonds that fuel civil wars are often called blood or conflict diamonds. Marques book, which was published in portugal in 2011.
The term is used to highlight the negative consequences of the diamond trade in certain areas, or to label an individual diamond as having come from such an area. The dismissal of the challenge, brought against angolan writer rafael marques and his publisher over his book blood diamonds. Initiated at the height of the cold war, pro and anticommunist forces in angola set the stage for a proxy fight between the united states and the union of soviet socialist republics. Rafael marques is an independent angolan journalist whose book blood diamonds. Mar 26, 2015 the plaintiffs took exception to marques tales of systematic torture, murder and land dispossession in his 2011 book, blood diamonds.
The time has come to reveal how a former highranking official and spokesman for unita, the u. But there was little, if any, enforcement by member states and unita s control of many of angola s diamond producing areas allowed the movement to finance its operations with illegal diamonds. Unita carved out a chunk of the diamond industry by taking the areas of lunda sul and lunda norte provinces near the zairian border. C te divoire, economy of angola, economy of sierra leone, blood diamond, angolan civil war, sierra leone civil war, charles taylor, kimberley process certification scheme, jonas savimbi, unita, global witness, robert fowler, marange. In angola, the former rebel movement unita has reacted angrily to a united nations report accusing it of retaining unknown quantities of weapons and illicit diamonds. The case centred on marquess 2011 book, blood diamonds. Memoirs of a boy soldier sarah chrichton books, 2007. May 28, 2015 a prominent angolan journalist has been given a sixmonth suspended jail term for defaming army generals in a book that revealed killings and torture in the countrys diamond fields.
Blood diamond is a 2006 american political war thriller film coproduced and directed by edward. The ruf in sierra leone has used one of the most brutally violent military campaigns in recent history. Rafael marques trial resumes over book on abuses in. Diamonds%20are%20a%20guerrilla%27s%20best%20friend%20%7c%.
The term is used to highlight the negative consequences of the diamond trade in certain areas, or to label an individual diamond as having come from such an. Diamonds, however, were central to the funding of the most brutal and protracted wars in a generation. The peoples movement for the liberation of angola, for some years called the peoples movement for the liberation of angola labour party portuguese. Unita s gory conquest for diamonds has coined the term blood diamonds and conflict diamonds, referring to the diamonds that it has purchased to finance the war. Top 10 books on angola best book recommendations, best. The countries involved in the illicit trading of blood diamonds include angola, the democratic republic of congo, liberia, and sierra leone. The uncommissioned fowler report detailed how unita continued to finance its war effort through the sales of diamonds later to be known as blood diamonds and resulted in further sanctions in the form of united nations security council resolution 1295 and action to end to the trade in blood diamonds through the kimberley process certification. History of blood diamonds in angola angola gained independence on november 11,1975 from portugal. Angolan journalist given suspended jail term over blood. Diamonds are a guerrillas best friend world news the guardian. Rafael marques filed crimes against humanity charges against 7 angolan generals, several of whom are part owners of diamond mining firms in. Blood diamonds by rafael morais by edicoes tintadachina issuu.
Blood diamond is a 2006 american political war thriller film coproduced and. Analysis angolas attorney general has summoned witnesses to testify in a case that implicates some of the top figures in the countrys military and security establishment in acts of torture and. Feb, 20 the dismissal of the challenge, brought against angolan writer rafael marques and his publisher over his book blood diamonds. The angolan civil war, beginning at the time of the countrys independence from portugal in 1975, was a 27year struggle involving the deaths of over 500,000 soldiers and civilians. Unitas gory conquest for diamonds has coined the term blood diamonds and.
And rhinestones from angola, produced by unita were being traded to cameroon to get them a cameroonian. The national union for the total independence of angola unita, portuguese. A council report in march 2000 claimed, however, that significant numbers of unita diamonds continued to reach world markets. Blood diamonds are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an. The plaintiffs took exception to marques tales of systematic torture, murder and land dispossession in his 2011 book, blood diamonds.
Ever since its publication in 2011, marques has been hounded by army generals involved in the mining industry because it exposes human rights abuses in angolas diamond mines, documenting 500. The history of african blood diamonds sierra leone sierra leone is a country in west africa which is bordered by guinea on the north and liberia on the south, with the atlantic ocean on the west of this. Currently, the government is fighting national union for the total independence of angola unita rebels. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online. Infiltrating and shutting down a blood diamond mine in equatorial guinea. The truth about the diamond industry wake up world. Censored book about corruption in angola now available on rsf. Nov 16, 2004 the two main groups responsible for the attrocities in sierra leone and angola are the rufrevolutionary united front in sierra leone and unita national union for the total independence of angola in angola.
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