On Sunday, around 300 people stormed the Montepuez ruby mine, owned by Gemfields Group Ltd., in northeastern Mozambique. The mine’s Chief Executive Officer, Sean Gilbertson, confirmed that police shot two individuals as they responded to the invasion.
Later that evening, approximately 500 more people gathered in a nearby village, intending to enter the mine. According to Gilbertson, the group had been misled by a disinformation campaign falsely claiming that the mine had been opened for public mining for 24 hours. This false claim, reportedly spread by ruby smuggling syndicates, heightened tensions.
“This campaign is fake,” Gemfields emphasized in a statement, adding that the two individuals were injured when police reacted to escalating aggression.
Gemfields’ Montepuez mine produces about half of the world’s rubies, making it a critical site in the global gemstone industry.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of rising political tensions following Mozambique’s October 9 general election. Questions over the election’s credibility have been raised by various observer groups. Additionally, opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has called for protests after the recent assassination of his legal adviser, Elvino Dias, by unknown assailants.
