Africa: War is Business - The complete series

In the documentary series "Africa, War is Business", HRH Prince Jaime de Bourbon Parme travels to several countries in Africa to explore the different aspects of "war economies".

He is wondering why the majority of the population in countries that are very rich in natural resources (like diamonds or wood) is still suffering from poverty and is confronted with violence. During his journey through Sierra Leone, Liberia and DR Congo, Jaime de Bourbon Parme tries to picture the role natural resources play in the existence and continuation of violent conflicts and human rights violations.

He visits the diamond fields in Sierra Leone and talks with diamond diggers and traders, ministers and chiefs. In Liberia he meets a former rebel leader and accompanies a United Nations expert to the harbour of Liberia's capital, Monrovia, to see how the export embargo on tropical wood is carried out. He also visits Liberia's second harbour Buchanan, were the Dutch businessman Guus Kouwenhoven use to run his "Oriental Timber Company" and smuggle weapons at the same time. Together with Moroccan UN troops, the Prince goes on night patrol in a gold and cobalt rich area where war is still raging. Force Commander for the Eastern Congo, Patrick Cammaert explains him the fragile situation in this region. To make the picture complete, representatives of European non governmental organisations (NGO's) are also interviewed.

The series "Africa: War is Business" aims to unravel the system of war economies, in order to make viewers aware of the problem, reveal their own complicity as consumers and force them to think about solutions. Throughout the series, it will become clear that war economies are embedded in the system of globalisation, of which we are all part.

"Africa: War is Business" seeks for possible solutions from the international community and from a awareness raising process from the consumer, the viewer.

View the full documentary:
Part 1: Prince Jaime travels to Africa
Part 2:Trade in Diamonds
Part 3:The link between Natural Treasures and Civil Wars

"Africa: War is Business" is a co-production of Viewpoint Productions and AVRO Television, and has been made possible by the financial support of Fatal Transactions, OxfamNovib, NCDO, Stichting Doen, Amnesty International, Cordaid and ICCO.