Liberian ex-president, Charles Taylor, was convicted in April of war crimes for arming Sierra Leone’s rebels in return for blood diamonds during the 1991-2002 civil war by a United Nations-backed court.
The verdict, which followed five years of deliberations by judges of the Special Court of Sierra Leone just outside The Hague, is considered historic, as it is the first time an African head of state is found guilty by an international tribunal.
Taylor is now awaiting sentencing and Sierra Leone is set grow its economy by an astonishing 35% this year thanks to mining investment, particularly in the iron ore sector.
The BBC’s Mark Doyle reports on the contribution diamond mining is making to Sierra Leone’s development.
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