Although Amnesty International has long focused upon the human injustices which resulted from illegal mining activities in the Sierra Leone during their civil war, the social consciousness of the world was not really awakened to the tragedies of this issue until after the events of 9/11 when false accusations were made pertaining to terrorist activities being allegedly funded by the sale of black market diamond rough from the Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone region of Africa is indicated in the middle of the map of Africa which appears above along the left side of the graphic.  It has been estimated that fewer than 1% of all the diamonds sold globally are sourced from illegal black market diamond rough, however many political representatives and Hollywood stars have recently jumped up on the apparently hot political bandwagon of Blood Diamonds, in an apparent effort to promote their own popularity while riding upon the backs of the diamond miners who are merely trying to earn a legitimate living mining diamonds in the Sierra Leone.

Never mind the fact that the people who earn their living working for legitimate mining operations in the Sierra Leone had their lives and livelihood interrupted by the tragic events of the Sierra Leone civil war, now they have to endure the financial pressures placed upon them by "global concern" revolving around "blood diamonds" from the Sierra Leone and people who don't want to buy diamonds from the Sierra Leone because they "might be blood diamonds"... Frankly folks, this recent rash of "global concern" is too little and about ten years too late!

The time to be concerned was in the late 1990's when the civil war was raging full force and the people of the Sierra Leone were being trampled upon by guerrilla forces. That was the time to speak up, that was the time to take action... What the people of the Sierra Leone need from us today is our financial support... Buy diamonds from legitimate sources, stop freaking out as to whether the diamond is from the Sierra Leone or not, and support non-governmental organizations which are fighting to stem the flow of HIV/AIDS because that IS a legitimate issue for the people living in the Sierra Leone today!