ruby rush brings gangland turf war to mozambique
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Ruby rush brings gangland turf war to Mozambique

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleRuby rush brings gangland turf war to Mozambique

An illegal miner stands in an area rich with gold and rubies on the outskirts of Montepuez
Montepuez - AFP

The stakes are high in Montepuez where the discovery of rubies has led to violence among miners that has turned the northern town into what some describe as Mozambique's own version of the Wild West.

Discovery of the red gemstone in 2009 sparked a "ruby rush", with thousands of miners arriving to seek their fortune, but often finding only grim conditions, conflict and danger.

"We have a lot of foreigners who come from a lot of countries to look for rubies," Tania Mabota, chief medical officer of Montepuez Hospital, told AFP.

"There's conflict for territory because it's a means of subsistence for the artisanal miners," she added. "One stone is enough for a person to be attacked."

The rubies attract informal -- also referred to as artisanal -- miners from Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria and other nations, whose work is illegal, unlike legitimate companies.

A cohort of gem traffickers has also arrived to trade in the stones.

Treating a dozen cases of injuries a month and the occasional death, the hospital finds itself on the front line of a turf war between gangs of illegal miners.

"Miners are killing one another for the gems," said Montepuez district administrator Etelvina Fevereiro.

"We have organised crime, armed attacks and trafficking of all kinds of drugs from cocaine to hashish," Fevereiro said.

Police in February rounded up 3,672 illegal miners, more than two-thirds of them clandestine migrants.

"The operation is very important because of the levels of disorder and anarchy," said journalist and commentator Fernando Lima.

"The situation there is just like in a Wild West movie."

The rush that has engulfed the remote region, 1,650 kilometres (1,000 miles) north of the capital, started six years ago.

- Discovery of the century -

Rubies were discovered when a local woodcutter picked up a stone, which was passed on for expert analysis.

"Mozambique didn't realise it was sitting on such an amazing resource," said Pia Tonna, marketing and sales director with British firm Gemfields, the biggest of several mining companies operating in the area.

Producing nearly 40 percent of rubies sold on the world market last year, Mozambique has become one of the world's leading sources.

The African ruby is now seen as an alternative to the highly prized Myanmar ruby.

Gemfields says it is proud to be supplying rubies mined "responsibly" and "ethically" and to share its profits with locals.

"Bringing those rubies to the market on an international platform, realising the true value of that product, is only going to help the country," said Tonna.

"It's going to help the country as a whole, that means you get more schools, more infrastructure."

But some locals say they have enjoyed no benefits, believing instead that they were robbed of their livelihoods and claim they were violently removed from mining territory allocated to large operators.

Celestino dos Santos Jesus, a farmer, alleges that police killed his son three years ago when he was found digging for rubies in an area intended for official mining.

"He was 25 years old, he went to look for rubies," he told AFP. "He was killed by the (police) rapid intervention force."

He added he had been too afraid to report the death to authorities.

Contacted by AFP, the local prosecutor did not respond.

Between 2014 and 2015, the local prosecution service opened investigations into at least 10 cases of alleged killings or violence, according to Mozambican media.

One policeman was convicted of involuntary homicide, Gemfields said.

- 'Zero tolerance' -

Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM), the subsidiary of Gemfields, says that whenever illegal miners stray on to its concession, the police are called.

"They take hold of those guys and that is a process actually in law," said Gopal Kumar, the mine's general manager.

"MRM absolutely never, never indulges in violence activities. We have zero tolerance policy towards violence."

An agreement signed with the police includes provision "to treat artisanal miners with dignity and respect," Gemfields said, adding that the firm understood the authorities had given illegal miners advance notice of the last crackdown.

Other accusations of police brutality have recently surfaced.

One illegal miner, Zito Armando, told AFP: "They take people in cars and leave them far away, in the middle of the road, 100 kilometres away."

Police dismiss the accusations, saying illegal immigrants are deported, while Mozambicans are sent back to their native provinces.

"If there were violations, they would have been brought to the attention of the prosecutor. But we did not see that," said police spokeswoman Malva Brito.

For the district administration, police action is a necessary move against illegal mining.

"Unlicensed mining is illegal everywhere in the world," Fevereiro said. "We are bringing back order."

source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

ruby rush brings gangland turf war to mozambique ruby rush brings gangland turf war to mozambique

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 08:32 2011 Monday ,25 July

Sabri accuses Yusri in Souad Hosni’s murder

GMT 12:07 2014 Monday ,03 February

Home design ideas

GMT 11:20 2017 Thursday ,02 March

Mexico central bank cuts growth outlook over Trump

GMT 08:31 2017 Tuesday ,28 November

Bangladesh upholds death sentence for 139 soldiers

GMT 14:33 2017 Thursday ,20 April

US defense secretary vows support for Egypt's Sisi

GMT 16:12 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

Myanmar bars UN rights investigator just before visit

GMT 08:21 2017 Wednesday ,30 August

United Technologies near deal to buy Rockwell Collins

GMT 18:27 2017 Friday ,21 April

ARCO condemns targeting of ERC convoy in Somalia

GMT 07:23 2017 Tuesday ,21 November

perched in Jerusalem's hills may soon vanish

GMT 19:33 2017 Tuesday ,10 October

US scientists engineer corn to boost protein

GMT 08:43 2017 Monday ,04 December

Brexit deal 'difficult but doable': diplomats

GMT 11:24 2017 Friday ,03 March

Lego honors 'Women of NASA'

GMT 11:35 2017 Tuesday ,05 December

Bahrain's top Shiite cleric hospitalised

GMT 21:39 2017 Saturday ,30 September

Abdel Karim praises Egypt’s role

GMT 10:11 2017 Tuesday ,12 December

Latest Grateful Dead resurrection -- a duo

GMT 15:43 2017 Monday ,04 December

Yemen's Huthi rebels claim ex-president Saleh killed

GMT 15:59 2017 Thursday ,30 November

Bahrain Bourse daily trading performance
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle