The Politics of Economic Regionalism by David J Francis

Author:David J Francis [Francis, David J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, General, Sociology
ISBN: 9781351807685
Google: zFM8DwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2017-11-01T03:30:44+00:00

6 Political Economy of Diamonds and Trans-border Regionalisation

Introduction

The civil war in Sierra Leone establishes the link between conflict diamonds, trans-border regionalisation and the opportunities of contemporary economic globalisation. Diamonds are fuelling wars in Africa because the proceeds from conflict diamonds are used to purchase arms, drugs, uniforms and even cultivate strategic alliances domestically, regionally and internationally. The domestic and international exploitation of conflict diamonds has further established the link between ‘war diamonds’, the privatisation of security, arms trade, drug trafficking and money laundering. In effect, the exploitation of conflict diamonds has led to the complicity of the international diamond industry and trading centres such as Antwerp, London, Tel Aviv, and political elites, regional leaders, warlords and MNCs, all of whom are taking advantage of opportunities of economic globalisation. Diamonds, arms smuggling and drug trafficking illustrates the regional and international dimension of the civil war in Sierra Leone. The case of Sierra Leone is not peculiar. From Angola to DRC to Sudan, strategic minerals such as diamonds, oil, gold and copper are fuelling conflicts in Africa. The human security costs for these weak and war-torn polities are enormous. This chapter therefore provides an understanding of the dynamics and complexity of the political economy of diamonds and how this phenomenon is aided by trans-border regionalisation and economic globalisation.

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