Diamond Smuggling Thrives in Zimbabwe

Bloomberg.com reports that the military in Zimbabwe is playing a major role in diamond smuggling.

The editorial is quoted as saying:

The dealer says his gems come from Marange, Zimbabwe’s biggest field, in in the east. By selling the army-sourced stones abroad, the dealers are enriching the 86-year-old President’s party ahead of next year’s vote, according to Human Rights Watch, Partnership Africa Canada, and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the political party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that governs in a forced coalition with Zanu-PF. Extensive interviews with these human-rights groups, as well as MDC, smugglers, and diamond dealers, provided the information for this story. The human-rights groups in turn have based their assertions on interviews with soldiers, diplomats, diggers, community leaders, and members of government, including the Parliamentary portfolio committee on mines and energy.

To access the full editorial, click here.