The Diamond Massacres in Zimbabwe

Within the last two years, a large diamond field has been discovered in Zimbabwe. A shocking article from the Guardian (December 11th) describes a recent massacre of small scale artisan diamond miners.

Helicopter gun ships and police with dogs. Bodies piled up and the typical cancerous boom and bust culture developed around this discovery. Once again, diamonds are covered in blood.

Yet the miners return, illustrating that diamond mining even in the most horrendous conditions offers a better chance at surviving than other options. These diamonds will find their way into the supply chain.

Read The Article Original Here:

Bodies Pile Up As Mugabe Wages War On Diamond Miners

In a follow up story on the massacres, the Times Online reports that the bodies are to be dumped in a mass grave.

Reported on December 13th, 2008, the Times reports, “In a telephone call on Thursday from the top government official in the district to the city’s deputy mayor is the firmest evidence yet of reported massacres in the Chiadzwa diamond fields in the past month.”

Some 78 to 80 people are believed to be buried in the mass grave.

Read the follow story up here:

Victims of Zimbabwean Diamond Crackdown to Be Dumped In Mass Grave

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