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Diamonds in the Rough

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(originally published in The Arthur January 2012: Written by Yolanda Ajak)

The civil war in Sierra Leone between 1991-2002 resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 and the displacement of over a million citizens.  During the first year of war the Revolutionary United Front (or RUF, a rebel army that fought and failed in the 11 year civil war) seized control of large strips of territory in Eastern and Southern Sierra Leone that were rich in alluvial diamonds.

The lack of immediate government response to the RUF, and the consequent disturbance in the country’s diamond production, lead to a Coup d’état on April 1992 by the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC). In 2009 the RUF were convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

International Youth Speaker to Share Story of War and the Transformative Power of the Arts

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UNICEF Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and Recipient of the Women’s Refugee Commission Voice of Courage Award, Mariatu Kamara, who will be speaking at the

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