Marange Diamonds: Fuel for Development or Authoritarian rule?

Zimbabwe’s newly discovered Chiadzwa Diamond Fields are located in the Marange Region, near the eastern border with Mozambique. Before being repossessed by the Zimbabwe government in 2006, The De Beers company reserved exclusive rights over the mineral rich region. Having withdrawn from the area due to Zimbabwe’s worsening political climate, the mining giant may have acted too soon. Described as a “world-class deposit” by mining expert Mark Van Bockstael, the concentration of diamonds in the Marange fields are of the highest in the world. Mr. Van Bockstael expects the fields to generate up to $1 billion to $1.7 billion a year.

The turmoil surrounding the new diamond reserves reflect a common trend in many of Sub-Saharan Africa, and the world’s mineral rich nations. While taking the correct approach towards harvesting these resources is essential to boosting the economy, both domestic and international disputes over ownership of the gems remain a major obstacle to development. The new mining in the region may be exactly what President Mugabe needs to prolong his 30 years of authoritarian rule.

As expected, Zimbabwe’s newly discovered deposits have been the source of recent controversy and violence. Mugabe’s infamous ZANU-PF party is suspected of exploiting the new reserves for partisan and personal gain, and investigators have gathered credible information suggesting the military used extreme violence in 2008 to seize the fields, and to attack the illegal miners that had previously rushed the fields. Farai Maguwu, director of a local NGO and advocate of diamond issues in the country, has been imprisoned in Harare after having provided information to a representative of the Kimberly Process. The Kimberly Process is a coalition of governments and civil society members aimed at putting an end to the flow of conflict diamonds, and will determine whether or not the Marange diamonds will be cleared for export.