BY THOMAS CHIDAMBA A REPORT on Marange diamonds has revealed militarisation of diamond mining and gross human rights abuses in the diamond-rich area, as well as in surrounding communities in Manicaland province. The report published last week by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) and WoMin Africa Alliance titled Guns, Power and Politics, Extractives and Violence Against Women in Zimbabwe said that State apparatus was being used to perpetuate violence and human rights abuses in order to take control of the diamond fields in Marange. It revealed that women were abused and ordered to strip naked at checkpoints between Mutare and Chiadzwa, while children as young as 10 years old were said to have been a target of abuse. The Chiadzwa and Marange diamond mining fields have been referred to as the most securitised, politicised and militarised mining area of Zimbabwe. “Artisanal miners and the local community have been the targets of State security agents since the discovery of diamonds in Marange in 2005. The unleashing of violence in Marange relates to the exploitation of diamonds, and attempts by the ruling party (Zanu PF) and State elite to capture the diamond wealth for personal gain as well as to bolster the might of the armed forces in political battles within the country,” the CNRG report read in part. The report described living in Marange as “hell on earth”. “The reign of terror unleashed on the miners and the local villagers has continued over the years. Soldiers subject villagers to unlawful and arbitrary searches and detain them to extort money. The soldiers search houses without the necessary search warrants and force local women and children to cook for them and slaughter livestock.” They said the discovery of diamonds created a possibility to release the suffering members of the public from unemployment and poverty. However, the CNRG report noted that instead of bringing prosperity, Marange villagers are now living in poverty and violence. “Villagers in Marange faced agricultural land grabs, forced relocations, loss of livelihoods, environmental degradation and a reign of terror by the police and military. The urban poor, who rushed to Marange, became the targets of increasing State violence,” the report said. It further revealed that Marange villagers experienced deaths of their cattle from polluted water, and forced relocations when their homesteads were cleared and fenced as diamond mining areas. Follow Thomas on Twitter @chidambathomas