Diamonds have a long, documented history of fueling civil wars, particularly in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The human loss and suffering are unimaginable, but the following statistics provide some perspective.
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| Angola
Civil War: 1961 - 2002
Killed: More than 500,000 people
Causalities: Maiming by landmines
Diamonds: Rebel group UNITA controlled 60-70% of diamond production
United Nations: Diamond sanctions imposed in 1998, lifted in 2002
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| Democratic Republic of Congo
Civil War: 1998 - 2003 with continuing insecurity
Killed: More than 3.3 million people
Diamonds: Rebel groups supported by neighboring countries competed for diamond areas in the northeast
United Nations: Diamond sanctions were never imposed
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| Sierra Leone
Civil War: 1991 - 2002
Killed: More than 50,000 people
Causalities: Mutilation, rape, torture, and abduction
Diamonds: Rebel group RUF was mining up to $125 million of diamonds annually
United Nations: Diamond sanctions imposed in 2000, lifted in 2003
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| Liberia
Civil War: 1989 - 1997 and 2000 - 2003
Killed: More than 200,000 people
Causalities: Human rights violations and 1 million displaced
Diamonds: Conduit for RUF diamonds and arms imports
United Nations: Diamond sanctions imposed in 2001, reapplied annually and most recently in October 2006
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