Blood Diamond Curriculum Guide (PDF) - Amnesty International USA

CASE STUDY CONFLICT DIAMONDS: COTE D’IVOIRE
IN SHORT
OVERVIEW
THE
DIAMOND
CONNECTION
COTE D’IVOIRE
Population: 17,654,843
Resources: leading cocoa producer, diamonds, timber, oil
Conflict: Extended armed civil conflict since 2002
GNI per capita: US $840
Corruption Rating: 151 of 163 countries (Higher scores are more corrupt)
Life expectancy: 46.0 years
In 2002, the “miracle of West Africa”, applauded for its peaceful history, erupted in violence with
an army-led rebellion in the northern Muslim part of Cote D’Ivoire. The Ivorian conflict stemmed
partly from anger among the northern population against pervasive discrimination by the
predominately Christian controlled government in the South. Alassane Ouattara, a candidate
favored by citizens in the North, was prohibited from running for president in the 2000 elections
because of Article 35, a constitutional article stating that both parents of a presidential candidate
must be Ivorian nationals. Many people in the north are not considered “true Ivorians” by the
southern constituency because they share closer cultural and ethnic ties with countries to the
north of Cote d’Ivoire, such as Mali. In addition to tensions over ethnicity, northern citizens were
also concerned about their right to own property, a right they felt was threatened by the national
government. Rebel groups in the North stated that they would not disarm until Article 35 had been
amended, but the national government stated that the rebels should not be rewarded for taking up
arms, and would not amend Article 35. The road to peace has been further complicated by the
presence of UN peacekeeping forces. In October 2005, the UN passed a resolution to keep
President Gbagbo in office for another year, due to the fact that the country was too fractured to
hold democratic elections. The UN also appointed Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny to
oversee the peace process, and dissolved the National Assembly, actions which generated riots
against what was perceived by Gbagbo’s supporters as an impeachment of national sovereignty.
As the conflict has escalated, so have the human rights abuses. Both sides are actively recruiting
child soldiers, committing extrajudicial executions, and engaging in extortion and looting. The
national government uses militia forces and hate media to incite violence, and the educational,
healthcare, and judicial systems continue to deteriorate. Core issues of the conflict that have yet to
be resolved include exploitation of ethnicity for political gain, competition over land and natural
resources, and corruption.
Both sides are exploiting natural resources to fund their sustained military campaigns. The
national government is using proceeds from the sale of cocoa, the nation’s primary export, to fund
the army, while rebel forces in the North are smuggling diamonds in exchange for money and
supplies. A significant volume of conflict diamonds from rebel held areas in Cote d’Ivoire are
entering the legitimate diamond trade. Despite the UN embargo prohibiting the sale of small arms
to Cote d’Ivoire, loose legislation and loopholes have allowed significant amounts of small arms to
be smuggled into the country. In December of 2005, the UN Security Council unanimously
approved a resolution banning the import of rough diamonds from Cote d’Ivoire, renewing the
existing arms embargo, and establishing a panel of experts to monitor the embargo on diamonds
and arms.
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