Witness to Truth - Volume Three B (Chapter 1: Mineral Resources, their Use and their Impact on the Conflict and the Country)

Mineral Resources, their Use and their Impact on the Conflict and the Country

Using primary data gleaned from interviews, statements and hearings, along with secondary materials from reports issued by NGOs and international bodies such as the United Nations, the Commission will address the following issues in this chapter:

• the political economy of mineral resources in Sierra Leone;
• the role minerals played in the conflict, including their appropriation and use by armed factions;
• the role of internal and external actors in the mining industry and its implications for the war;
• the systematic targeting of communities in mining areas and the effect of the conflict on those communities;
• government policies regarding the mining industry and their effect on the country; and
• the weaknesses of the international diamond industry and the effect of the Kimberley Certification Process.