BLOOD DIAMOND BACKGROUND RUF Stands for Revolutionary United

BLOOD DIAMOND BACKGROUND

RUF • Stands for Revolutionary United Front • Rebel army in Sierra Leone who fought an eleven year war to gain control of the country. • They were at first very popular with the population of Sierra Leone who resented the Freetown elite who they saw as corrupt. • The RUF quickly developed a reputation for their cruelty.

RUF • The RUF originally promised free education and health care; and an equitable share of diamond revenues. • The RUF took control of the diamond mines, however they did not stand by their diamond promise, instead using the revenues from diamonds to fund their rebel army.

RUF AND ‘CHILD SOLDIERS’ • There were many child soldiers in the RUF – a total of 10, 000 are thought to have participated in the conflict. • Thousands of boys and girls were abducted and forced to serve in the RUF as soldiers or prostitutes. Often they were forced to kill their own parents. • They fed drugs to many of the children to make them

‘THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS’ • The RUF cut off the hands of captured soldiers. • They used machetes to cut off the hands, arms and sometimes legs of tens of thousands of Sierra Leoneans. • The governments election slogan was that the people had the power in their hands (for voting) so the RUF would cut their hands off so they could not vote.

RUF IN THE FILM • In the film ‘ Blood Diamond’ the RUF are used to build the social setting, in particular by creating the climate of conflict in the film.

CONFLICT DIAMONDS • This is the term given to diamonds in areas controlled by forces or groups opposed that are mined and sold illegally to fund military actions, usually against governments.

CONFLICT DIAMONDS • Also referred to as ‘blood diamonds. ’ • Conflict diamonds hit the world’s spotlight during the Sierra Leone conflict in the 1990 s. • It Is estimated that at this time, conflict diamonds made up 4% of the world’s diamond production.

SIERRA LEONE: CIVIL WAR • Began March 23, 1991 when the RUF tried to overthrow the government in Sierra Leone. • The RUF took control of the diamond mines early in the war, establishing a revenue to fund their war. • Built a strong rebel army. • In January 1999 (the year our film is set): horrific assault on Freetown by RUF ‘Operation No Living Thing. ’ It is estimated 7000 people died in this assault.

SIERRA LEONE: CIVIL WAR • The government were forced to make major concessions and sign a peace agreement in July. • The situation remained unstable for some time as many rebels refused to co-operate with the peace process so the UN established a mission to Sierra Leone to assist with disarmament and enforce terms established in the peace agreement unlike most peacekeeping missions, this one brought some strong military power.

“This red earth, it is in our skin. The Shona say the colour comes from all the blood that’s been spilt fighting over the land. This is home. You’ll never leave Africa. ” - Colonel Coetzee