Dia.
English boys don't go to school every day.
Teacher say this country was founded as a utopia.
Do you know what that word means, Papa?
Well, she says someday when the war is over...
...our world will be a paradise.
And all this you learn in one day?
And math and science.
This is too much learning. Tomorrow, you will stay home and mend the nets, yes?
No, Papa.
What? So now you want to go to school every day?
- Stay. - Papa.
- Stay! - Papa!
Jassie!
Solomon.
Come, come, come.
Pick it up. Quick.
- Papa! Papa! - Jassie.
- Dia, run! - Papa!
- Papa! Papa! - Dia, run!
Papa!
Bring forward the next one. Bastard.
Bring forward the next one.
- Long sleeve or short sleeve? - No.
Young man. You must understand.
The government wants you to vote, okay?
They gonna tell you say, "The future is in your hands."
We now the future.
So we take your hands.
- No. - No more hands, no more voting.
Chop him.
Spread the word. The Revolutionary United Front is coming.
- RUF! - RUF! RUF!
Bring forward the next one. Bring him forward. Bring him forward.
Long sleeve or short sleeve?
- Short sleeve! - Chop him.
Hold on, hold on. Wait, wait, wait.
Not this one. Look at him.
- Put him in the truck. - Let's go.
Bring him to the mines.
He can work. He can work. Move, move, move.
Next one, next one, next one.
Throughout the history of Africa...
...whenever a substance of value is found...
...the locals die in great number and in misery.
Now, this was true of ivory, rubber, gold and oil.
It is now true of diamonds.
According to a devastating report by Global Witness...
...these stones are being used to purchase arms and finance civil war.
We must act to prohibit...
...the direct or indirect import of all rough diamonds from conflict zones.
May I remind you...
...that the U.S. Is responsible for two-thirds of all diamond purchases worldwide...
...and I don't anticipate that demand diminishing.
We must remember that these stones...
...comprise only a small percentage of the legitimate diamond industry...
...whose trade is crucial to the economies of many emerging nations.
The Freetown government and their white masters...
...have raped your land to feed their greed.
RUF have freed you.
- No more slave and master here. - It's true.
Current estimates are that conflict stones account for only 15 percent of the market.
But in a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry...
...that means hundreds of millions of dollars are available...
...for weapons in these conflict zones.
RUF is fighting for the people!
RUF is fighting for Sierra Leone!
Any bastard think he would joke with me diamond, I go cut he throat.
Stop!
And we are joined today by members of that diamond industry...
...who wholeheartedly endorse your proposal.
I hope you join me in applauding their presence here.
Mr. Van De Kaap and Mr. Simmons.
Give it to me.
Don't worry. We'll be fine, huh?
Listen. You take off as soon as I'm out the door.
You don't land until I raise you on the sat phone.
You be careful, Danny.
Don't worry. They want these guns too much to do anything stupid.
Where is Commander Zero?
I am Captain Rambo.
Right. Right, I've seen your films, huh?
I'm looking for Commander Zero, huh?
He's inside. You talk to me.
You are here to help us in our struggle against the government.
I'm here to do business with Commander Zero, all right?
All right.
You are the man, huh? You are the man.
Here, huh?
Hey. I'm talking to you! Stop!
- Commander Zero. - Hey.
- I go kill you, eh? - It's fine, huh? It's fine.
Commander Zero. Commander Zero.
Mr. Archer, come here.
You get something for me?
And yourself get something for me, huh?
Are you craze? You get for pay me first for them.
This no fine, huh?
This no fine.
...and their new weapons, huh?
Maybe I could kill you and take what you bring.
Then you get one more dead body...
...instead of airplane way full with grenade launchers.
So I'm think I'm gonna go to them government.
Them government, at least them go pay me, huh?
Wait, wait. Wait, my friend.
This is the thing you want? Here.
So many I not know what to do with them all.
Hey, Archer, next time, you bring satellite TV, eh?
- I wanna see Baywatch. - Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Hello, hello, hello.
Papers, please.
Danny Archer, National Geographic.
You crossing into Liberia.
I've got a letter from the minister of interior and a Liberian visa as well.
I'm doing a story on the Marrakaz, who, as you know...
...are allowed to cross the border in order to get into grazing grounds.
You ever read National Geographic, huh?
- You're under arrest for smuggling. - No, no, no.
Listen here, my friend. Listen here, all right?
I am good friends with Colonel Coetzee.
Colonel Coetzee would not be pleased that you've interfered with his business.
Now, you know who I am, all right?
You don't wanna make trouble for me or my friends, all right?
Now, look, why don't I just look the other way, all right?
You take one or two of those stones and get something lacquer for the wife...
...or maybe the mistress, all right? We'll solve the problem right here, huh?
We'll go back to Freetown and ask Colonel Coetzee...
...how he wishes to thank his business associate.
Guys, take him away.
Hey! What the fuck? What's going on there?
Come on! Fix that shit now!
Wasting my time here! What in the shit is that?
Fuck that stuff! Fix that shit! Damn, now need to work.
- Can't work. What's going on there? - Boss.
- Fix that thing. - I wanna go toilet. I must go now, now.
- I can't hold it in, boss. - Go, go.
Get to work. Go to work, go to work.
Fuckheads wasting my time now. How am I work in this shit?
Stop!
Spread your fingers.
Open.
Make it quick.
Give it to me.
The government troops are coming!
Go, go, go...!
No, no, no!
No! I'm not a rebel!
RUF is coming! RUF is coming!
RUF is coming!
RUF! RUF! RUF!
Hey.
What did you do with it?
I'm talking to you, you hear me?
Where the diamond? The pink one.
- I saw you take it. - You're mad. I do not know you.
Liar! I saw it with my own eyes.
This big. Biggest I have ever seen.
My brothers, I go give $ 1000...
...to the man who cuts the diamond out of this bastard.
You the craze! You the craze!
Where is the diamond?
Do you see a diamond?
You devils have taken my family! My home! I done lost everything!
Here, look. What is left?
What is left?
If there is a diamond, you are the one who has taken it!
Liar! The man is a liar!
I know your name, Solomon Vandy! You have a name!
You have a family! And I'll catch them!
And I'll find them!
Please tell me you brought me cigarettes, bru, please.
I just have to tell you, Danny.
The colonel's not going to be happy about you losing the diamonds.
Forget the colonel. There's a fisherman in there, all right?
He might've found a pink. Big one.
What about the colonel? He'll want that stone.
Screw the colonel. I'll contact our friends in London.
If this stone is as big as I think, we're gonna need a real buyer, all right?
What? What?
London wants nothing more to do with you.
"Arrest in Sierra Leone of Daniel Archer, former mercenary and smuggler..."
"Retains close ties to Van De Kaap diamond cartel.
Sources say they deny any affiliation whatso..."
Fucking hell.
Listen, his name is Solomon Vandy, all right?
Van De Kaap is gonna want that stone, whatever they say. You just get him out.
Get him out.
Yeah, can you tell Mr. Simmons that Danny Archer called. Right.
Archer. A-R-C-H-E-R.
Afternoon, darling, huh?
Big white man all alone. That is no fine.
- I'm safe, huh? No HIV. - Yeah, yeah. I've heard that one before.
Archer, I know where to get nice baby diamond just for you.
- Not now, next time. - Come on, Archer.
I said not now, next time. Bugger off.
Solomon Vandy?
What do you want?
It seems you made a friend in prison.
- Hey. - How the body, Mr. Archer?
The body fine, M'Ed.
So you want something nice, huh?
The best you can get ahold of, all right?
Take me a few days, but I go find you something special.
All right. You hear they took Marampa yesterday?
- Really? - Now, come on.
You know every move they make. When are they gonna hit us?
Oh, I imagine they come do some shopping very soon.
Yeah, yeah. Got any smokes back there?
Yeah.
Who's that, huh?
All right.
- Can I offer you a cigarette? - Oh, no, thanks.
You listening to this?
I am profoundly sorry.
The world is falling apart, and all we hear about is Blowjobgate.
I believe he's sorry.
When was the last time the world wasn't falling apart, huh?
A cynic. Why don't you sit down and make me miserable?
- Danny Archer. - Maddy Bowen.
- Pleased to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- American, huh? - Guilty.
Well, Americans usually are.
Says the white South African?
I'm from Rhodesia.
We say Zimbabwe now, don't we?
- Do we? - Last time I checked.
Don't tell me, you're here to make a difference.
- And you're here to make a buck? - I'm here for lack of a better idea.
- That's a shame. - Not really.
Peace Corps types only stay around long enough...
...to realize they're not helping anyone.
Government only wants to stay in power...
...until they've stolen enough to go into exile somewhere else.
And the rebels, they're not sure they want to take over.
Otherwise, they'd have to govern this mess.
- But TIA, right, M'Ed? - TIA.
What's TIA?
- "This is Africa," huh? - Right.
- You want another? - Sure.
So which one are you?
- Smuggler? - Am I?
Somehow you don't strike me as the UNICEF type.
How about soldier of fortune?
Or is that too much of a cliche?
Diamonds?
- If I told you I was a missionary...? - For Van De Kaap?
Better watch that type of talk, Miss Bowen.
In America, it's bling-bling, but out here, it's bling-bang, huh?
I wouldn't want you getting in any trouble.
How much trouble do you think I would get into...
...for talking about blood diamonds?
- You're a journalist. - That's right.
Piss off, huh?
For five years, this country has reported almost no diamond exports...
...while Liberia, right next door, has exported 2 billion dollars' worth.
Very odd, considering that Liberia has no diamonds to speak of.
I'm shocked.
Van De Kaap denies trading blood diamonds, but admits it's impossible...
...to tell where a diamond comes from unless their smuggler gets caught.
What do you want from me, huh?
You know all about Van De Kaap. Help me out. Off the record.
Well, off the record, I like to get kissed before I get fucked, huh?
Shit.
- Cordell. How is it, Shona? - Long time, pal.
- How's Alice? - She's well, thanks.
Tim must be in school, right?
- Big kids, big problems, you know? - Yeah, yeah.
I heard you got into a spot of trouble in the bush, huh?
Well, you know the bush, right, bru?
- Company doing well? - Can't complain.
Eleven wars in the continent. We're keeping busy.
So, what, you're here on holiday, huh?
- How's the colonel? - He sends his regards.
Good, good. Score us a loose, huh?
Smoking will kill you, bru.
Only if I live, right?
That's for breaking my TV, bru.
Tell the colonel he'll get his money. I'll come see him soon.
Ten more.
Come. Come.
Go on.
Dia. Dia. Come here. Get away from there.
Go. Go, Mama.
Stay down.
Excuse me, my name's Solomon Vandy...
- Check the list. - I have checked the list.
- File papers at the Office for Refugees. - Sir, I have filed papers with the office.
Then God help you, because I can't.
- Please, sir... - Next.
- Sir... Sir, no, please. - Hey, hey. Me, me, me.
Husband here. One year we look.
Hurry, Mom. Go.
Dia! Dia!
- Jassie! - Dia!
- Mama! - Dia!
Jassie! Mama!
He's been waiting. What took you?
What are you gonna do, shoot me right here, huh, Shona?
Now, don't be a wanker, man. Get in.
- Hello, Danny. - Colonel.
You look well.
Clean living and a pure heart, I suppose, huh?
Walk with me.
It seems the rebels have taken back the diamond fields, Danny.
The government of Sierra Leone has contracted us...
...to go in there and take the rebels down.
So you sell the rebels weapons...
...the government hires you when they use them? Nice, sir.
I assume you're asking for mining concessions, huh?
We save the government, they show their gratitude.
And you get rich, right?
How long have I known you, Danny?
I was... I was 19, sir.
And you survived. A lot of boys didn't. Why is that?
Just lucky, I guess.
No, you were a good soldier. But I made you better, didn't I?
Yes, sir. Yes, you did.
And over the years, didn't I protect you...
...teach you about diamonds, cut you in on the deals?
- Some might call it that, yeah. - But not you...
...because you done with me now, eh? On to bigger things.
I need a man that knows his way around up there.
Unless, of course, you wanna cut me in. Something pink?
Sir...
Our deal went bad, and you owe me money.
I'll take a stone as payment.
Look, do you think if I found a stone like that, I'd still be on this continent?
- Come on. - Danny, give me your hand.
That's red earth. It's in our skin.
The Shona say the color comes from all the blood...
...that's being spilled fighting over the land.
This is home. You'll never leave Africa.
If you say so, sir.
So, what did you do, bury it?
Yeah. Yeah, I would have buried it, huh?
- What are you talking about? - What am I talking about? Come on, bru.
I'm late for work.
Pink, huh? The biggest one he'd ever seen.
You were in the mining camps, weren't you, bru?
Why else would that rebel with the bandaged arm make up such a story?
Go ask him.
Thank you.
Your mothers and fathers, your brothers and sisters are dead.
- You are dead! You have been reborn. - No!
- We are your family now. - No! No!
Your parents are weak.
They're the farmers. They're the fishermen.
They've done nothing but suck the blood from this country.
But you are the heroes who will save this nation.
You are not children anymore.
You're men.
No one has ever given you respect...
...but with this in your hand, they go fear you.
If you do not get the respect you deserve...
...you will take it by shedding their blood.
- Repeat after me, shed their blood. - Shed their blood.
- Louder! Shed their blood! Shed their blood! - Shed their blood!
Make them hear you in Freetown. Shed their blood! Shed their blood!
Shed their blood!
- Dia Vandy, stand up. - Shed their blood! Shed their blood!
- Put your hand on the gun.
Shed their blood! Shed their blood!
- Shed their blood! Shed their blood! - Now squeeze the trigger.
Come on, Dia. Pull the trigger. Pull the trigger!
I know, I know. It's hard to be a man.
Sit up. Come.
But you are a soldier of the revolution now.
And I am your commander.
Whatever you need...
...guns, CDs, food...
...come to me. I will take care of you.
Today, you are promoted to the rank of captain.
Dia Vandy...
...boss man.
How's it, bru?
- You got something for me, huh? - Yeah.
- So, what's new, M'Ed? - Fucking RUF.
Tried to hit the government building across the street.
Shit, man, half the people be soldiers today, RUF tomorrow.
- Might be time to get your family out, huh? - And go where?
Just fire up the chopper and fly away like you people?
This my country, man.
We here long before you came, long after you gone.
- Hi. I'm Maddy Bowen. - How about you dance with me?
- No, I don't dance. - Neither do I. Come on.
- So, Danny... - Archer.
Archer.
When did you first start moving stones? Was it Angola?
Then you did the whole mercenary thing. Was that fun?
So, what are you? Nihilist? Opportunist?
Maybe I wasn't breast-fed as a child, huh?
You think I haven't met people like you before?
- I think you get off on people like me. - You think?
When did you first start working for Van De Kaap?
Christ, you never stop, do you?
No, I never stop.
Do you want me to stop?
Why don't we go back to your place, see what's in the minibar, huh?
I'm a print journalist. I drank it.
Is it possible that you don't care how many people die...
...because of the deals you do?
People here kill each other as a way of life. Always been like that.
So you can just watch it and go about your day?
Maybe we should all just write about it, then.
Look, thanks for the dance, huh?
- And a shot too, huh, M'Ed? - Sure.
You're a hard case, huh?
Tell me something, how long you been here in Africa, huh?
Three months. And before that, Afghanistan and Bosnia.
You come here with your laptop computer...
...and your malaria medicine and your little bottles of hand sanitizer.
Think you're gonna change the outcome, huh?
Let me tell you something. You sell blood diamonds too.
- Really? - Yeah.
Tell me, how is that?
Who do you think buys the stones that I bring out?
Dreamy American girls who all want a storybook wedding and a big, shiny rock...
...like the ones in the advertisements of your politically-correct magazines.
So, please, don't come here and make judgments on me, all right?
I provide a service. The world wants what we have, and they want it cheap.
We're in business together. Get over yourself, darling.
Okay, just to clarify, not all American girls want a storybook wedding...
...just like not all Africans kill each other as a way of life.
And yeah, it's a shit, shit world, but you know what?
Good things are done every day, just, apparently, not by you.
This place is about to explode.
I wanna spend my time with someone else.
You are listening to BBC World Service.
In Sierra Leone, Revolutionary United Front forces have been sighted...
...within 10 kilometers of the capital city of Freetown.
The minister of the interior has expressed confidence...
...that the government troops can repel the attack.
All foreign nationals are being advised to leave the country.
There are also unconfirmed reports...
...that atrocities are being committed by both sides in the rapidly worsening situation.
The United Nations has described the refugee situation as critical.
Don't tell me you're gonna try and sell it yourself.
To who? And for what price, my friend?
You need my help, whether you like it or not.
- What are you talking about? - Here, let me help you with that.
You hear that? You hear that? They came into the city overnight.
It's started. What are you gonna do now, huh?
Listen, the right stone can buy anything. Information, safety, even freedom.
But a big stone does not stay secret for very long.
The moment you tell anyone about it, your life is absolutely worthless.
The only reason you're alive is you haven't told anyone where it is.
Am I right? Am I?
Who do you think got you out of jail, huh?
- That makes us partners. - I am not your partner!
What if I helped you find your family?
What do you know of my family?
The relief agencies are useless, the hospitals are overwhelmed.
- There are other ways, bru. - Liar.
Look at me. I know people, huh? White people.
Without me, you're just another black man in Africa, all right?
Oh, shit.
We got no time. What's it gonna be?
You would say anything. How can I trust you?
I don't give a fuck about you, all right? That diamond could be priceless!
We split it, and you get your family. What's it gonna be, yes or no? Yes or no?
- Where will we go? Where do we go? - Come on, follow me!
Stay low!
Get your ass over here!
Wait!
Now!
Come on, come on.
Come on!
Come on.
Fuck!
No, this way.
Fire!