Africa's bloodiest walords of the 1990s vied for control of the continent's richest diamond fields, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) and the Kono district of Sierra Leone in West Africa. Engulfed by ensuing wars, local diamond traders profit in the here-and-now market and leave Westerners to dream about "forever." Diamonds have to pay off the warlords today. In the midst of the resulting chaos, "tomorrow, we could all be dead."

Rebels exchange diamonds for weapons to fight the civil wars of their patrons. Uncut diamonds are smuggled out of the country as fast as possible. The big profits end up in the hands of middlemen, arms dealers and corrupt politicians.

After taking control of the Kono territory, , chief Sam 'Maskita' Bockarie of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) marketed the ill-gotten diamonds through a network that already existed in the West African sub-region. Support for restoring order came too little too late and Sierra Leone's fight to rid the land of Maskita left a trail of human devastation through her cities and villages. Even the capital, Freetown, was ravaged by Maskita, whose motto became "Spare no life."

It was the diamonds that fueled Maskita's army of mercenaries and child-soldiers. Diamonds helped pay for the drugs used to screw up the courage and ruthlessness of RUF soldiers. The 1992-98 massacres of thousands of innocents, many suffering amputations, could be laid at the door of "Blood Diamonds." CONTINUE at  http://www.blackstate.com