Blood diamonds

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Description

Diamonds are big business - the retail trade is worth over 30 billion dollars annually. But many of the stones are dubious in origin, coming from African countries immersed in civil wars. They are known as 'blood diamonds' - sold by rebels and governments to fund their military campaigns. Sierra Leone once exported millions of dollars worth of gems every year. Most of them were smuggled, sold by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Today, a certification scheme - displaying each gem's place of origin - is supposed to prevent such illegal traffic. But does it work? Meanwhile the country's civilians, most of whom have never set eyes on a diamond, are caught in the crossfire.