Zimbabwe's Blood Diamond Killing Fields
Summary
TLDRThe script recounts the discovery of alluvial diamonds in Zimbabwe and the ensuing turmoil. It details the exploitation of the diamond fields by the military and government, leading to human rights abuses, including massacres and forced labor. The narrative also explores the international implications, with the Kimberley Process under scrutiny for its potential failure to address the crisis, and the involvement of Australian interests in Zimbabwe's diamond trade.
Takeaways
- 🏔️ Life in eastern Zimbabwe remained largely unchanged until the discovery of diamond fields in Marange three years ago.
- 🚨 The area around Marange is heavily controlled by Zimbabwean security forces and is off-limits to outsiders.
- 💎 The Marange diamond fields represent the world's largest find of alluvial diamonds in over 50 years.
- 👦 Children are among those sifting through soil in the diamond fields, hoping to find overlooked stones.
- 🔍 The government of Zimbabwe has been involved in the mining operations, leading to accusations of 'organized theft' from the land.
- 🚫 The government forcibly evicted the British-based mining company that held the mining rights to Marange, seizing its equipment and diamonds.
- 💔 There have been reports of human rights abuses, including violence, shootings, and massacres, allegedly ordered by the highest levels of the Mugabe regime.
- 🛑 Operation 'No Return' was launched to gain control of the diamond fields, leading to a period of atrocities committed by state security agents.
- 💰 The diamond smuggling is rampant, with the military and other syndicates involved in the illegal trade of diamonds across borders.
- 🌍 The Kimberley Process, an international body to stop the trade of conflict diamonds, is under pressure to act against Zimbabwe but has shown reluctance.
- 🔄 Despite legal rulings in favor of the original mining company, the Zimbabwean government continues its mining operations, ignoring property rights and legal precedents.
Q & A
What significant discovery was made in the remote eastern part of Zimbabwe three years ago?
-The significant discovery was that some of the rocks in the area were diamonds, marking one of the world's largest finds of alluvial diamonds in over 50 years.
Who is the man referred to as 'Michig' in the script, and what is his role in the story?
-Michig is a former policeman turned diamond dealer who agrees to guide the team to the diamond fields, despite the risks involved.
Why is the journey to the diamond fields considered dangerous?
-The journey is dangerous because the area is tightly controlled by Zimbabwean security forces, and it is off-limits to outsiders. There is also the risk of encountering soldiers.
What is the significance of the 'Merengue' diamond fields?
-Merengue is the site of the world's largest find of alluvial diamonds in more than 50 years, and it is a source of conflict and controversy due to its illegal mining and alleged human rights abuses.
How did the Zimbabwean government become involved in the diamond fields?
-The government became involved after evicting the British-based mining company that originally held the mining rights, and then opened the fields to the public and later to military-controlled mining operations.
What is the Kimberley Process, and why is Zimbabwe's membership in it being questioned?
-The Kimberley Process is an international body aimed at preventing the trade of conflict diamonds. Zimbabwe's membership is being questioned due to allegations of human rights abuses and illegal diamond mining.
What is the 'Operation No Return', and what was its impact on the diamond fields?
-Operation No Return was a military operation launched to gain control over the diamond fields. It resulted in a reported massacre of hundreds of people and the establishment of military-controlled mining syndicates.
How did the diamond fields affect the political landscape in Zimbabwe?
-The diamond fields became a source of funding for the government to maintain the loyalty of the army and were used as a means to secure political power during a time of political instability and economic crisis.
What is the role of the military in the diamond mining operations at Merengue?
-The military is involved in organizing and controlling the mining operations, as well as allegedly participating in human rights abuses, including violence, shootings, and forced labor.
What is the impact of diamond smuggling on Zimbabwe's economy?
-Diamond smuggling is rampant and is estimated to cause the loss of revenue worth more than 50 million US dollars a month, depriving the country of a significant economic resource.
What are the allegations against the Australian government in relation to Zimbabwe's diamond industry?
-There are allegations that Australian officials have been working to prevent Zimbabwe's suspension from the Kimberley Process, possibly to protect the interests of Australian company Rio Tinto, which has a significant stake in one of Zimbabwe's diamond mines.
Outlines
💎 Discovery of Diamonds in Zimbabwe
This paragraph details the life in eastern Zimbabwe and the recent discovery of diamonds in the region. It introduces 'Michig,' a former policeman turned diamond dealer, who guides the narrator and a Zimbabwean colleague through the dangerous journey to the Marange diamond fields. The area is heavily controlled by security forces, and the journey involves avoiding detection and navigating through security checkpoints. The paragraph also describes the diamond sorting process and the significant economic impact of the diamond find, with an estimated value of 200 million dollars a month. It highlights the involvement of the Zimbabwean government in the mining operations, which the narrator refers to as 'organized theft.'
🚨 Government Intervention and Eviction
The second paragraph discusses the government's response to the diamond discovery. It recounts the story of a British-based mining company that held the mining rights to Marange but was forcibly evicted by security forces after declaring the diamond find. The company's equipment was seized, and its employees were locked out. The government then opened the fields to the public, leading to a rush of people hoping to find diamonds. However, this was met with police abuse of power and the eventual military control over the fields, which led to a massacre of hundreds of people, according to witnesses and Human Rights Watch.
🛡️ Military Control and Atrocities
This paragraph delves into the atrocities committed by the military as they took control of the diamond fields. It describes the 'Operation No Return,' which involved helicopter gunships and resulted in a massacre, with hundreds of people reportedly killed. The paragraph also discusses the aftermath, including the discovery of bodies in hospital morgues and a cemetery, and the ongoing efforts by human rights investigators to document these events. It highlights the denial of these events by the Mugabe regime and the ongoing smuggling of diamonds out of the country.
🏭 Military Syndicates and Smuggling
The fourth paragraph examines the role of the military in organizing illegal miners into syndicates to mine for diamonds, which are then smuggled out of the country. It describes the process of smuggling, with one smuggler, 'David Moyo,' detailing his experiences moving diamonds across the border to Mozambique. The paragraph also touches on the economic impact of smuggling, with Zimbabwe losing an estimated 50 million US dollars a month in revenue due to diamond smuggling.
🌍 International Implications and Calls for Accountability
The final paragraph addresses the international response to Zimbabwe's diamond mining and smuggling activities. It discusses the potential suspension of Zimbabwe from the Kimberley Process, an international body aimed at preventing the trade of conflict diamonds. The paragraph highlights the debate within the Kimberley Process regarding Zimbabwe's membership and the potential economic consequences for the country. It also raises concerns about the influence of commercial interests, particularly from Australian companies, on the international response to the situation in Zimbabwe.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Alluvial Diamonds
💡Security Forces
💡Smuggling
💡Human Rights Abuses
💡Kimberley Process
💡Machete
💡Zimbabwean Government
💡Mugabe Regime
💡Massacre
💡Diamond Smuggling
💡Human Rights Watch
Highlights
Life in remote eastern Zimbabwe has changed little over the centuries until a startling discovery of diamonds three years ago.
A former policeman turned diamond dealer, referred to as 'Michig', guides a dangerous journey to the Marange diamond fields.
The diamond fields are tightly controlled by Zimbabwean security forces and off-limits to the outside world.
The journey involves avoiding detection and navigating through security checkpoints.
The Marange diamond field is the world's largest find of alluvial diamonds in more than 50 years.
Children sift through soil on the edges of the diamond field, hoping to find overlooked stones.
Diamonds from Marange are distinctive in color and are among the oldest in the world.
The diamond fields are estimated to be worth around 200 million dollars a month.
The Zimbabwean government is involved in organized theft from the diamond fields.
Andrew Krantz, CEO of a British mining company, faced eviction and seizure of equipment by the Mugabe regime.
The government opened the fields to the public, leading to a rush of people and chaos.
Police abuse of power and confiscation of diamonds led to a shift in community sentiment towards mining for the government.
President Robert Mugabe was pushed into a power-sharing agreement amid hyperinflation and political instability.
The military was allowed to mine for diamonds as a way to maintain loyalty to Mugabe's government.
Operation No Return was launched, leading to a massacre of hundreds of people by Zimbabwe's helicopter gunships.
Human Rights Watch and local researchers uncovered evidence of over 200 deaths and potential human rights abuses.
Zimbabwe's new unity government is trying to attract foreign investment while downplaying the atrocities in Marange.
Critics call for Zimbabwe to be suspended from the Kimberley Process due to smuggling and human rights abuses.
Australian officials are accused of preventing Zimbabwe's suspension from the Kimberley Process for commercial interests.
Diamond smuggling continues with the collusion of those meant to stop it, highlighting the need for international action.
Transcripts
life in remote eastern Zimbabwe has
changed little over the centuries that
is until a startling discovery here
three years ago there's anything you can
do here grim this one second please
some of the rocks littering these planes
turned out to be diamonds the man who's
showing them to me is a former policeman
turned dealer who I'll call michig he's
agreed to take us to the merengue
diamond fields but he's worried about
running into soldiers I will go one peg
without a little save it all to the
hunting you know Wamba how can you know
we're all for what was a hunt my best
time huh okay as a white woman I'm too
conspicuous so it's agreed he'll take my
Zimbabwean colleague he'll film with a
hidden camera
it's a dangerous journey into an area
tightly controlled by Zimbabwean
security forces and off-limits to the
outside world
nor would I use public transport because
we think that public transport is the
less scrutinized by the police and then
when we give fair we're gonna walk in
the push for two enough hours a little
bit night by the time we get there and
at first light my colleague starts
filming he's already made it past three
security checkpoints but they've had to
walk much further than normal to avoid
detection
telepathy general in between the flowers
but now it's tell her to go over six
hours of walking at night dinner but
almost at the area just in front of me
at three buyers the guys won't go with
what we're doing it was looking for
abyss the basis of sorting area where
dem wounds are sorted from the field
ready for sale to the bias this is
merengue the world's largest find of
alluvial diamonds in more than 50 years
on the edges of the diamond field
these children are sifting through soil
hoping to find a stone someone else may
have missed I don't either
Oh bunny Hey when I got him Winslow will
be damned
at night the military zone syndicates
and those willing to risk going it alone
dig for diamonds
in the morning it's time for the buyers
to move in this is the sorting floor
into where we are right now because of
pieces watching their tables I think
never would way Sam your angle Islam I
guess it's not sponsoring little boy
yeah what's Bosnia probably with all
right Islam Daraa I don't know much more
than 1.8 mm diamonds from here a
distinctive in color and the oldest in
the world a huge amount of them are
pouring out of this area worth an
estimated 200 million dollars a month
imagine can you say little
Selita does and then you put it wrong
it's not just individuals working these
fields now but also their Zimbabwean
government while it's impossible for us
to openly film here
Dateline obtained these previously
unreleased pictures of the mechanized
mining being conducted by government
agencies this is organized theft
organized theft from Africa consolidate
because they're mining on African solid
minds
Andrew Krantz week is a Zimbabwean and
chief executive of the British based
mining company which holds the mining
rights to merengue his euphoria at the
big fine quickly vanished when he tried
to enter a joint venture with the Mugabe
regime three weeks after the company
declared the discovery there was a
surprise visit from the mines Minister
followed by a blunt eviction notice from
security forces we were told listen if
you're going to refuse the guns are
going to come up and you're going to get
arrested and you're gonna get harassed
so literally here the guns
sitting in the truck do you want to stay
or don't you want to stay the company's
equipment was seized its employees
locked out and he says more than 25
kilos of diamonds vanished
the mcGarvie regime then opened up the
fields to the people that's before also
before the rains then the diggers and
the rains got on pretty much the same
time and that's what it looked like
offers you notice the tree within weeks
these fields were swamped with ordinary
Zimbabweans and miners and dealers from
further afield here's a picture of an
illegal crowd coming in to South Africa
numberplate
the youngsters from the village of
selling bottles of water bottle of water
adamant so it's quite extraordinary what
is happening
Cephas as I'll call him was one of the
estimated 15 to 20 thousand people drawn
to G odds were at the start of the
stampede paying a commission to police
to be there like many people in this
story he was willing to talk but only if
his identity was protected
Cephas says he watched his reserve bank
officials arrived in she ODS were to buy
gems from one and all
Dana Yanna Adrianna Murray
llaman books you silly Mahmoud Karimi
mob Rosario goddesu decided on openness
Ortega he said he don't wait this is a
big lead in of Dominican Tennessee but
she need we know the value of the
diamond said chiandra
that they can look after this country
very well without even looking at
external borrowing or something tribal
leader Newman she odds were says that
while many community members were at
first willing to mine for the government
that soon changed as the police abuse
their power if you take the gang was
confiscated from me by anybody
government it was over 10 kgs and that
10 kgs were only produced in in one week
by by less than 20 people and input an
estimate of around about 15 million
dollars worth of diamonds which were
confiscated 15 million dollars 10
million u.s. dollars 1/5 yes because a
handful 5th way
we with you at the same time Zimbabwe's
political landscape was also changing
President Robert Mugabe was being pushed
into signing a power-sharing agreement
with his political foes without the
patronage of the army he looked like
losing power completely that was the era
of hyperinflation and and you could need
to walk around with wheel barrels of
Zimbabwean currency and still pay
nothing so he needed some way to
continue to buy the loyalty of ism Bob
Wian army ken Roth is executive director
of the internationally respected Human
Rights Watch
he believes Maga be devised a plan to
keep the army onside and what better way
then allow units to rotate through
merengue get there two weeks at taking
up diamonds and selling them and he
fathered that would be a perfect way of
maintaining the loyalties backing the
Army's backing of Mugabe his government
but first the military had to gain
control of the fields in late October
last year operation no return was
launched for Imagawa from Zimbabwe
center for research and development has
been investigating what happened next
the first week of November marked a
turning point in these atrocities which
were being committed by the state
security agents this is a time when the
military replaced the police when they
went in what was their brief what do you
think they were ordered to do they were
ordered to kill their order to kill
Zimbabwe's helicopter gunships launched
a massacre according to scores of
credible witnesses Human Rights Watch
and eyewitnesses say hundreds of people
were gunned down cephus says he was
there why should I let him be he'll
cooked new pass
I don't worry she died him he'll go
plays fumble it was Louie up there will
be less angry when the wound would cry
see you in the womb had a bus or two got
my you she did human rights
investigators say this photo shows one
of the many bodies that began
accumulating in hospital morgues
Anna's a tyagaraja by Otto Otto see my
Garibaldi when resume otra nota a
Marriott in Bern I made we are a busy
area to talk with Homero Dean Angus yet
I'm taken to a cemetery on the outskirts
of Matar II it's close to an army base
so we have to move quickly
human rights investigators have
uncovered a paper trail tracing the
bodies from geodes were to morgues and
hospitals and finally to this spot these
documents reveal scores of unnamed
bodies were brought here yes in MMC I
know I look a lot of distant of that
moon these two men are too frightened to
be identified but they show me to what
they say is the cemeteries grisly secret
this was being glyph where that must go
where near to those people repent it
religion is were you here that day yes
what did you say effect out there where
prisoners from telephone
the true death toll is not yet known but
Human Rights Watch say it's uncovered
proof of more than 200 deaths local
researchers say it could be double that
and they believe blamed for the massacre
can be traced to the highest levels of
the Mugabe regime so a lot of people saw
what happened here yes
and the authorities tonight yes daughter
is doing but it is true there are people
I think if it were it is allowed yeah we
can exhume the bodies exhibit the bodies
they are there
you can't deny you know truth is good
people are doing them in the graves
you're still saying victims we are still
putting together evidence because we
believe action is to be taken against
the perpetrators of this gross human
rights violations and just two days ago
we interviewed a woman who was mauled by
dogs in November and until now she's
discussed all over her body
this is that woman a 58 year old widow
who says she was attacked on her first
and only visit to chance were to sell
clothes to the panners with helicopters
in the air police and soldiers on foot
and on horseback
the dog squad was also set loose second
/ Nawal Shiki training run down blueness
when my fast that one is my name bro
pass whatever tango into two kitchens
hello Yakov Angola nice Archie who nice
Archie who nice a su Pumbaa don't ah
chin who you are kangaroos a nice old
doyoung getting to know further
eyewitnesses say the violence and
shootings continued for weeks
those detained were beaten and tortured
and women were raped this woman who does
not want to be identified had also gone
to chance were with clothes to sell tea
pretty long walk you know
can't eat window tonometry friend Ian
well when yo soy de ribas cachero algo
Segundo tengo no guru vizago Fuego
cuidado de sangre de poder de la reine
easy nor omegam de segunda khumba upon
us today was a wit cooperton wooden or
my muscle jaga to me - - disastrous a
occur throughout the entire security
operation no civilian was above
suspicion including those living in the
nearby city of mataró so first session
it will take 12 what 12:15 strikes the
next session maybe 8 when I still fade
felt pain the third session maybe
another 8 or 10 and I had no more pain
67 year old car woods is a former farmer
and now bauxite miner who was arrested
on his way home from work one night he
says that for two days he was held in a
cage along with scores of others he was
only let out to be flogged I regard
myself as being abducted from a police
station in mutari taken straight to the
police tube chance one for Florence when
they asked me in chance what are you a
diamond dealer
that's about all I could ask me and no
more they beat me if I when I denied
that I was
hospital records confirm the months of
brutality on the minefield which
eventually left it fully under military
control but soldiers were soon providing
more than security hundreds of illegal
miners were organized into syndicates to
mine for the military
organic lemons using
Abu DiNozzo sabbatical Tigana tre ma
Golda cantata McGrath Tina sweetie a
share
Tino Sierra et no Sharon cannot eternity
10,000 credit in tow it's a tent or
floor for an Olympic art according to an
actual syndicate member as each new
military unit arrives it takes over the
mining teams run by the departing
soldiers Yassen syndicator a touchscreen
warning whoosh and young boar invention
goes under our new chin John one while
in later two months when all soldiers
were horrible
was it at two months he forgot the two
months or pins with entry to the
district now severely restricted Maga
B's ministers deny the massacre and
other human rights abuses ever took
place
at this mining conference in the capital
Harare the nightmare in Cheon soir is
far from people's minds
Zimbabwe's new unity government is
trying to paint a rosy picture to
attract foreign investment I cannot
overemphasize the advantage we have been
the mineral wealth what we clear for is
the capacity to exploit that wealth
Oh Batman poof Oh is a Maga be loyalist
and recent appointee to the position of
Mines Minister he's told Parliament only
three people died its yards were victims
of internal strife and he's unrepentant
about the government's decision to bring
in the military no we moved in and then
we don't regret having done de we moved
in through our pleas we are supported by
the military because of the magnitude of
the invasion by the ticketed them on the
planet and that has been achieved the
panels have been cleared
authorities at every level continue to
proclaim their innocence and President
Robert Mugabe insists that all mining in
Zimbabwe is totally aboveboard the
sanctity of property rights and the rule
of law in all these dimensions are fully
respected and Roy Krantz ouack would
like to believe Robert Mugabe but
watching this video film recently on his
claim he's shocked mr. beauty and
they're aware of it they have the
Attorney General's opinion that would
have senior attorney general's opinion
which is the government's own law
stating in 2006 category
they have no title they have no right to
be here just last month
Zimbabwe High Court agreed ruling that
merengue was still legally owned by
Kranz weeks company but the government's
mining goes on regardless
diamonds that escaped the government's
hands are still leaving the country
illegally this man is a diamond smuggler
David Moyo as we'll call him has a cache
of gems hidden in his shoes he buys them
from military syndicates and scrounging
locals and takes them across the border
to Mozambique dateline travelled with
him to see how it's done
ah yes the borders are tight but you
know each other even if they caught you
normally these people police officers
they need something then they do that
you just give them a grab and go through
smuggling of diamonds and gold is it
such rampant levels that last year
Zimbabwe estimated it was losing revenue
worth more than 50 million US dollars a
month
David Moyo has crossed this border
countless times in the past two years
later I'm gonna to your novel I don't
wanna do that my saga raised a little
price and ya know in Google there are
growing calls for Zimbabwe is government
to be held to account for both small and
large scale smuggling and human rights
abuses
critics say Zimbabwe must be suspended
from the Kimberley Process the
international body charged with stopping
the trading conflict diamonds if those
in bar boy is is expelled from the
survivor the Kimberley Process if it no
longer has the right to sell its
diamonds
it will be losing one of its key
economic lifelines and there's no
question that at that stage Robert
Mugabe will have to take action will
have to rein in his military on the
killing the beating the forced labor
will have to
Kimberly process members visited
merengue in July this year collecting
this photographic evidence along the way
next month they will decide whether the
sim Bob ways right to export diamonds
should be suspended but some members
like cecilia gardner say the massacre
allegations won't be the ultimate
decider it is it's not a subject that
the Kimberly process can really grapple
with we don't have the expertise we
don't have the experience and it's just
simply not on our list of priorities the
Kimberley process has to show that it's
tough it has not shown that it's tough
in the past and here's another example
of weak-kneed behavior in the face of
obvious problems
Ian smiley was a founding member of the
Kimberley process but he believes it's
failing recently he resigned in despair
and now he fears the Kimberley Process
won't act against him Bob way the whole
point of the Kimberley process was to
stop blood diamonds to ignore this to
ignore this most obvious example of the
kind of things the Kimberley process was
supposed to stop it'll damage its
integrity in a most serious way but
smiley also has another damning
allegation that Australian officials had
been actively working to prevent
Zimbabwe suspension as I understand it
members of the Australian diplomatic
corps have visited the governments of
countries that had team members on the
review team that went to Zimbabwe in
June and have tried to dissuade them
from action that would include the
suspension of Zimbabwe from the
Kimberley process he believes Australian
diplomats are trying to protect the
exports from one of Zimbabwe solder
diamond mines the maroa mine which is
78% owned by Australian company Rio
Tinto I was well I should say I'm old
enough that I shouldn't be
but I was actually quite stunned that
you would allow commercial interest to
trump human rights or even to trump the
long-term best interests of the diamond
industry I think is to me it's
unfathomable the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade says it hasn't yet
finalised Australia's position and while
it's been talking to other governments
it denies recommending they act in a
particular way
while wrangling over Zimbabwe status as
a legitimate diamond dealer continues so
too does the smuggling with the
collusion of those meant to stop it
David Moyo is now in Mozambique and on
his way to the house of a well-known
diamond buyer with his stash of gems
thank you think unless international
authorities act soon the diamond world
that could transform the country will
continue to fall into the wrong hands
and be smuggled away
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