Mozambique’s ongoing civil unrest erupted into violence on Thursday when dozens of illegal miners stormed Gemfields’ Montepuez Ruby Mine (MRM).
A group of about 40 illegal miners marched to the operation’s gate before killing two police officers at the scene, according to a statement by Gemfields.
While no workers at the mine were injured, the slain pair included a commander in Mozambique’s Natural Resources Protection Force, it said.
“MRM has been informed that the attack may be related to district immigration authorities investigating, earlier in the day, suspected illegal immigrants in a local village and during which it is reported that an individual died,” the company said.
The attack is the latest in a series of disruptions that have delayed the construction of a processing plant at MRM. Gemfields, which has several operations in Mozambique’s northernmost province of Cabo Delgado, said that groups associated with the illegal mining and trading of rubies have taken advantage of the political unrest near the mine.
“In recent weeks, the operation of MRM’s new processing plant, in the final commissioning process, has been impacted by illegal miners sabotaging the plant supply infrastructure,” the mining company said.
“Gemfields and MRM continue to engage with the appropriate Mozambican governmental authorities and remains committed to the safety and security of its employees, contractors and host communities.”
Gemfields said conditions at the mine had been calm since the attack.
Bloomberg reported in December that 261 people had died in the weeks after Mozambique’s disputed October election outcome, with most fatalities caused by police gunfire.
The victory of ruling party Frelimo, which has held power in the country for half a century, sparked a wave of protests from opposition groups who said the vote was rigged, prompting the government to put the country on lockdown.
The protests and blockages resulted in a full border closure for several days and more than a month of conditioned operations, while also forcing the rail corridor from SA to Mozambique to shut down for a month last year.
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