Diamond mining in Africa: Land Corruption in Sierra Leone

Do you know where diamonds come from? Over the past 85 years, a total of eight communities in the Kono District of Eastern Sierra Leone have been forced to leave their land due to the expansion of diamond mining companies.

Instead of fulfilling the community hopes of new employment opportunities and prosperity to the region, vast profits of diamond mining in Sierra Leone have largely enriched investors of jewellery shops around the world, including the US-based Tiffany & Co.

Right by the outskirts of Koidu, a diamond mine has gradually invaded property upon surrounding communities. The mine, initially under state-owned operation, brought several social and environmental impacts for the local people.

Within this context, this participatory video created in 2017 shows community members from Koidu sharing their own experiences of land corruption, calling for local action on land ownership and land rights. The participatory video project allowed participants to analyse the role of corruption in the mismanagement of the land administration and document its impact.

Furthermore, cooperatives of women detail the challenges they face when trying to buy land by themselves, demanding the local authorities’ support and transparency.

InsightShare is a community development organisation committed to improving and shaping the use of Participatory Video in all its forms. We are leading practitioners in Participatory Video and we work with organisations wishing to harness Participatory Media as a community engagement, accountability and people-led development tool: https://insightshare.org

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