Zitamar Daily: Another Cabo Delgado mine attacked

Insurgents overran a ruby mine close to Montepuez early on Thursday morning

The insurgency in Cabo Delgado hit foreign investments in the province today, with a dawn raid on a ruby mine operated by the Indian-owned Gemrock, next door to Gemfields’ more famous Montepuez Ruby Mine, which has since evacuated non-security staff.

The attack will again have a chilling effect on miners in the province, who had returned to work after the deadly attack on Grafex in June, but may find this one harder to put behind them. Nevertheless, the rewards for continuing to mine in Cabo Delgado are great. Gemrock this month held its first ruby auction in Bangkok; it did not share revenue figures, but said its Mozambican rubies garnered “an extremely good response” from buyers. Another miner in Montepuez, Fura Gems, is running an auction in Bangkok this week.

Not much further to the west is the Balama graphite mine of Syrah Resources, the Australian company which was today toasting a $220m grant from the US Department of Energy, and a new MoU on supplying graphite to another major battery producer in the US. The Balama mine is contending with ongoing industrial action, however, and will also be keeping a wary eye on the insurgency which is getting ever closer.

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Agenda:

• Today-tomorrow: President Nyusi visits the province of Inhambane

• Tomorrow: Annual ‘Coordinating Council’ of the national police force, to be held in Palma, Cabo Delgado (see here)

• 19-29 October: Tanzania People's Defence Force holds field exercises in the southeastern regions of Lindi and Mtwara, involving warplanes, helicopters, medium and short range missiles, anti-aircraft guns and other weapons, according to a press release issued yesterday

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The latest from Zitamar News:

Mozambique can charge Exxon, Eni, Sasol $317m for failure to drill new blocks
Mozambique is entitled to $317.2m in compensation from major oil and gas companies who have failed to drill exploration wells on blocks they were awarded in the country’s fifth auction round

Syrah celebrates $220m US grant, but graphite mine is threatened by Cabo Delgado unrest
Syrah Resources is celebrating a $220m grant for its US operation — but its graphite mine in Mozambique continues to be threatened by strike action and an encroaching insurgency

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From the Zitamar Live Blog:

💥 Attack on Gemrock ruby mine in Montepuez

Suspected insurgents have attacked the Gemrock ruby mining project near Montepuez in Cabo Delgado province

The Gemfields-owned Montepuez Ruby Mine nearby has activated its evacuation protocols

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Also in the news:

• Public works minister announces construction of new national road (Notícias, O País)

• President Nyusi pardons 24 terrorists (Rádio Moçambique)

• Government postpones payment new salary scale retrospectively (A Verdade)

• Falling euro hits Mozambican exporters (Carta de Moçambique)

• More cheetahs sent to Zambezi reserve (Savana)

Today’s front pages in Maputo. Photo © Faizal Chauque / Zitamar News