Sierra Leone Starting to Unravel

Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world, is also one of the richest in natural resources, especially diamonds. How is it that a country so rich is so poor? How is it that they don't benefit from the huge international diamond trade? The present unrest seems to have flared up when 500 U.N. peacekeepers were kidnapped by RUF rebel forces.

The army and rebels in Sierra Leone battled Tuesday for a town that controls a highway to Freetown, prompting thousands of civilians to flee toward the capital from where British troops are evacuating foreigners.

Military sources said fighters loyal to rebel leader Foday Sankoh attacked the town of Masiaka 35 miles from Freetown Monday.

"The fighting is still going on and that is why you see an exodus of people now moving toward Freetown," an officer from the Sierra Leone army told reporters at a checkpoint outside the capital.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan pushed for a rapid reaction force to put the peacekeeping mission back on track.

The United States said that it was prepared to provide logistical support but both Washington and London said that they would not commit troops to the U.N. force.

We do have to be careful, though, for in condemning Foday Sankoh, we must not do so because, in trying to seize control of Sierra Leone's diamond resources, he's preventing Western control and profit from these diamonds. Sankoh's forces appear to target civilian populations, and that should be condemned in the strongest terms, perhaps the same terms with which NATO and the US deserved condemnation for its attacks on civilian populations in Kosovo. The diamonds of Sierra Leone ought to profit the people of Sierra Leone, represented by duly elected democratic officials. Foday Sankoh isn't that, but neither is Belgium selling 30,000,000 carets a year of stolen Sierre Leone diamonds.