How did rebel groups use diamond sales to fund military campaigns in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Diamonds-for-weapons trade in Africa — Blood diamond Map illustrating the diamonds-for-weapons trade that took place in Africa near the end of the 20th century.

Rebel groups in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone funded their military campaigns by selling diamonds mined in areas they controlled. These diamonds were either sold directly to merchants or smuggled into neighboring countries, where they were mixed with legitimately mined diamonds and then sold on the global market. The proceeds from these sales were used to purchase arms and war materials, enabling the rebel groups to conduct violent campaigns that caused immense suffering to civilians. This practice led to the United Nations defining "blood diamonds" as any diamond mined in areas controlled by forces opposed to a country's legitimate government and sold to fund military action against that government.1