Zimbabwe, Diamonds and the Wrong Side of History
9 March 2009
A new paper by Partnership Africa Canada, a nonprofit organization, titled Zimbabwe, Diamonds and the Wrong Side of History provides deep insight into the diamond industry in Zimbabwe.
In reading the article, I was very much reminded of images from The Last King of Scotland, which I watched only recently. The most shocking thing about the movie is that the bloodshed in Africa in the 1970’s is still going on today. Though the leadership may be different, the root causes of violence remain the same. Read the report to learn about the devasting impact of the Mugabe regime.
The government of Zimbabwe has taken control of the mines in order to control the wealth of the country. In 2008, national exports from platinum and diamonds amounted to more than $500 million and this figure is rising. Platinum is the largest export of the country. The jewelry industry plays an important role in the stability of Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe is in a humanitarian crisis as a result of a political crisis.” – Human Rights Watch report
