Marange diamond field: Zimbabwe torture camp discovered

[IScreamSundays]

Source: BBC

A torture camp run by Zimbabwe's security forces is operating in the country's rich Marange diamond fields, BBC Panorama has found.

The programme heard from recent victims who told of severe beatings and sexual assault.

The claims come as the European Union pushes to let some banned diamonds from the country led by President Robert Mugabe back onto world markets.

The Zimbabwean government has not responded to the BBC's findings.

In an internal document seen by the BBC, the EU said it was confident that two mines in the area now meet international standards and it wants diamonds from those areas to be immediately approved for export, which would partially lift a trade ban dating back to 2009.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14377215

[iandhr]

1. This is awful

But no doubt Mugabe's fan club here will be here shortly.

[tpsbmam]

2. So? The rich HAVE to have their diamonds, doncha know...

why should THEY have to suffer because brown people in another continent were tortured? :sarcasm:


Hell, most don't give a damn about brown people in their own continent! Or poor people. Or pretty much outside their wealthy strata. Unless they don't have anyone to clean their toilets -- then they need those they otherwise ignore.

(I do know 3 absolute exceptions to the above but for too many, it's sadly true.)

K&R for the heartbreaking torture of these innocents all so the rich could have their fucking diamonds.

[saras]

3. It's nice to know the EU doesn't have any objection to torture either...

[Blue_Tires]

6. sadly, this is mild compared to past colonial history

see: King Leopold of Belgium

[gratuitous]

4. So, what can the United States say about this?

We're at a credibility deficit as long as our own torture regime continues uninvestigated. The situation in Zimbabwe is horrible, no doubt, but the United States is in no position to protest it, clean it up, or enforce international law.

[AlbertCat]

5. Is this one of Pat Robertson's mines?