Maputo, 17 Jun (AIM) – At least two people died and two others were injured following a clash between a group of illegal miners and police officers in Nsewe region, Montepuez district, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.
According to sources cited by the independent newspaper “Carta de Moçambique”, the fatalities are illegal miners and the injured are police officers, with injuries ranging from minor to serious.
The tragedy occurred when the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) were preventing the illegal miners from accessing the mining area exploited by Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM), near the village of Nsewe.
MRM – which operates in the Namanhumbir administrative post, Montepuez district – is 75 per cent owned by the UK-based company Gemfields and 25 per cent by its Mozambican partner, Mwiriti Limitada.
According to eye witnesses, the miners were digging when suddenly police officers opened fire against them, “they targeted three illegal miners, two of whom died.”
“Unhappy with the situation, the miners clashed with the police, resulting in two officers from the riot police (UIR) being injured after being attacked by the group”, sources said.
This is not the first time that tragedies of this nature have occurred in the Montepuez district. There are always clashes between illegal miners and police officers and members of MRM security due to the invasion of the area granted to the company.
Am/
