African and international headlines have been dominated with the trial of former Liberian President, Charles Taylor and his alleged gift of blood diamonds to supermodel Naomi Campbell.
In the 1990s, the African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo disintegrated into civil war. Civilians were raped, murdered and attacked during the decade-long war. Collectively over 4 million civilians died. What connected each conflict was the currency used to fund them – diamonds. HISTORY™ will provide a detailed look into the harsh reality behind the production of the world’s most valuable gems.
Blood Diamonds depicts the brutality of a regime – supposedly backed by Charles Taylor – where millions of people lost their lives due to the conflicts over blood diamonds. As citizens in four African warzones suffered, diamonds from those countries flowed freely into the world’s diamond market.
Diamonds are the world’s most precious gems, but in West and Central Africa, their cost has been greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
Tune in to watch BLOOD DIAMONDS on the History Channel (DStv channel 254) on Saturday August 14 at 20.30 CAT.