Zimbabwe regime accused of stealing $2bn in diamonds

[alp227]

Source: the guardian

Diamonds worth at least $2bn (£1.26bn) have been stolen by the Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe's ruling elite, international dealers and criminals, in "perhaps the biggest single plunder of diamonds the world has seen since Cecil Rhodes", a watchdog has claimed.

Revenue that could have revived the country's ailing economy has been channelled into a "parallel government" of police and military officers and government officials loyal to Mugabe, according to Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), a group campaigning against "blood diamonds".

The Marange fields in eastern Zimbabwe were discovered in 2006 and are one of the world's biggest diamond deposits. But funds from diamond sales have not reached the state treasury, says a PAC report, published on Monday to coincide with a Zimbabwe government conference on the diamond trade in Victoria Falls. Instead there is evidence that millions have gone to Mugabe's inner circle.

"Marange's potential has been overshadowed by violence, smuggling, corruption and most of all, lost opportunity," says PAC.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/12/zimbabwe-diamonds-mugabe-marange-fields

[DFW]

1. OK, and this comes as a surprise to whom, exactly?

No one I know.

[Nihil]

4. As you say ...

It's no surprise that a) Mugabe is a crook and b) crooks behave like crooks.

[tblue]

2. My heart weeps for the people of Africa.

The people get screwed over and over and over and over. I was fortunate to have visited Kenya and Tanzania, and I never met a more beautiful and welcoming people, especially in Kenya. Gorgeous and warm and appreciative of everything. True story: This was in the early 90s. I gave our hotel attendant a $5 tip, and he promised me he would share it with the rest of the staff. I had to tell him no, it was for him and I would tip the other staff also. I know most of them went home to a hut with no electricity or running water.

[SemperEadem]

3. and deBeers has been doing exactly what for centuries?

lab diamonds have no blood on them.

[grantcart]

5. Ironically if they flood the market with diamonds to make a quick score they would crash the value

of diamonds.

[Earth_First]

6. an arbitrary figure...

they are just stones given an arbitrary value.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. What else can they steal? Their currency is worthless

[Dokkie]

8. Rubbish, Rubbish, Rubbish

NGO groups are at it again stirring up trouble in an African country. This is how they start, demonize a country and its leader to a point were the average American is ok with bombing the country to pieces in order to catch the said leader. Also couldn't you see some reporter writing

Revenue that could have revived the country's ailing economy has been channelled into a "parallel government" of police and military

For our own govt? Yes, its tax payers money and not diamonds but the result is the same. Never again will I take the words of these shadow groups at face value, I still remember the Iraqi incubator stories, Libya viagra army, Libyan African(black) mercenaries lies

[Nihil]

9. Yep, that's what you're talking.

Mugabe has been a murderous crook for decades.

Trying to defend him and his crimes is on a par with defending those of the Bush cabal.

[Dokkie]

12. You are missing the point

Yes, he is a bad guy and a dictator but tell me what govt doesn't steal too much from its people to prop up the military and police? Btw Hitler ordered the 911 attacks and if you dare defend him, you are defending a genocidal war criminal.

So go along with it or you are a Hitler defender. Also looking at the track record of these NGO groups, especially their accusations against African people, they have little to zero credibility. The story in fact sounds like a propaganda news by diamond dealers trying to garner support from the west for some sort of invasion.

Finally, spending $2b in a small country like Zimbabwe will spur economic growth even if it was spent on the police and military, I don't care if the money was squandered digging and filling holes all around the country.

[Nihil]

13. Not as badly as you appear to be doing

Ignoring the fact that you just Godwin'd your own subthread ...

> Finally, spending $2b in a small country like Zimbabwe will spur economic growth
> even if it was spent on the police and military, I don't care if the money was squandered
> digging and filling holes all around the country.

Reading the OP would have helped you, especially this bit:

>> But funds from diamond sales have not reached the state treasury,

Have a nice day.

[Dokkie]

14. Missed the point again

Again, who cares what route is used to reach the police/military? So the treasury doesn't, who cares. Just as long as the people(police and military) receive the funds. That is all it takes to bring about economic growth. That is probably what happened with the money (if there was any $2 billion at all) seeing as how the US will seize the money if they dared put it in any international bank.

Also you accusing me of supporting the Mugabe regime because I doubt the tales from yet another destructive NGO group is just another form of Godwin's law. You played the game with Mugabe and I played back with the real thing.

Good day to you too

[Dr. Strange]

10. Oh wow.

I didn't think we had any Mugabe supporters still around.

[pampango]

11. Imagine that. A dictator getting rich. Few of them die or depart office in poverty. n/t

[AngryAmish]

15. Mugabe corrupt? The devil you say.