This groundbreaking documentary examines Africa’s most brutal civil wars, revealing the role played by the illicit diamond trade in funding conflicts in Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The issue of ‘conflict diamonds’ is explored in extremely affecting human terms. We hear evidence of the first hand experiences of Sierra Leoneans who lived through the horror of the country’s 1991 civil war. By journeying to Sierra Leone and the major diamond centres of London and New York, we document the personal stories of survivors and perpetrators. We also talk to diamond industry experts and critics. They offer a microcosm of the war's horrors: the fascination with diamonds, the difficulties of recovering and obtaining justice, and the complexity of adapting the diamond industry to benefit the people.

We take an extremely detailed look at the barbarous activities of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front, the rebel army that began the civil war. The RUF attacked the civilian population, murdering and raping defenceless men, women and children. The rebels aimed to wrest control of the country’s diamond fields and riches, an objective which resulted in over 50,000 deaths.

We look at the bloody history of the diamond industry in Sierra Leone, which began in 1930 when British colonists discovered the first diamonds in the country. In 1961, an independent Sierra Leone was officially exporting two million karats a year; diamonds appeared to offer the country a great deal of promise. However, by 1971, a corrupt president began siphoning off the best diamonds for the enrichment of senior officials. As legitimate diamonds exports fell, Sierra Leone become one of the poorest nations on earth, and a fertile breeding ground for the RUF’s vicious revolution.

We also examine the horrific history of Angola, which had suffered more than a decade of continuous civil war before Sierra Leone was enveloped in chaos. In 1998, a small non-governmental organization released a scathing report, blaming the diamond industry for buying rebel-mined diamonds in both countries. In response to these allegations, the diamond industry, along with governments and NGOs, launched a diamond certification scheme called that aimed to rid the world of ‘blood diamonds’.

In this incredible documentary, noted journalists, human rights activists, diamond industry experts and historians tell a unique and harrowing story. However, at the heart of the narrative are the personal accounts of Sierra Leoneans, who vividly and bravely describe their individual tragedies and struggles to recover after the war.