Police denies attack on Dhlakama gem mine in Barue, Manica

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Police denies attack on Dhlakama gem mine in Barue, Manica

3:31 CAT | 22 Sep 2016

File photo / Afonso Dhlakama

The Mozambican police in Manica have denied a reported raid on the assault Renamo, leader Afonso Dhlakama’s SOCADIV mining company, explaining it as an operation to prevent the looting of precious stones in Barué.

According to witnesses speaking to VOA, defence and security forces entered the premises on 20 August and seized tourmaline and quartz stored there.

Dhlakama notified the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Pedro Couto, about the incident in a letter, but declined to comment to the press.

Manica police spokesperson Elcidia Filipe yesterday denied that the defence and security forces had occupied the mine, but admitted that police had conducted operations in the vicinity to prevent theft.

“We did not invade this mine. We conducted operations in Barué district, Nhampassa, to prevent illegal activities involving armed Renamo men who mingle with the population,” Filipe said.

In July, the General Inspectorate of Mineral Resources and Energy shut down a gem mine in Báruè belonging to Afonso Dhlakama, allegedly for failure to comply with tax obligations.

SOCADIV, a firm that mines tourmaline in Barue, currently the scene of violent clashes between government forces and the armed wing of Renamo and ambushes on escorted convoys, was fined in 2015 for health and safety irregularities and not paying taxes, following an incident in which one miner died and six others were injured.

A local commentator says that the closure of Afonso Dhlakama mine suggests an attempt to disrupt the logistics of the leader who has since the beginning of the year been conducting military operations to secure governance in the six provinces where his party claims to have obtained victory in the 2014 elections.

Source: Voa Portugues