from ARMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, Mozambique
Mozambique Bureau
MAPUTO, (CAJ News) – BUSINESSES operating in northern Mozambique continue bearing the brunt of the Islamist insurgency bedeviling the region.
Gemfields, the United Kingdom-headquartered announced it had as a result ceased operations at Nairoto Resources Limitada (NRL), in which Gemfields owns a 75 percent stake.
This follows an attack attributed to insurgents took place in the village of Nairoto in the Cabo Delgado province shortly before midnight on Sunday.
The village lies approximately 15km south west of the exploration camp of NRL and approximately 83km north of Montepuez Ruby Mining Limitada (MRM), in which Gemfields also owns 75 percent.
As a consequence, NRL has initiated the process of evacuating operational employees and contractors, and therefore operations at the site have ceased.
There is no present impact on operations at MRM, Gemfields noted.
“Gemfields, MRM and NRL hold the health and safety of their employees and contractors as their highest priority and remain in regular contact with government authorities,” Gemfields stated.
The insurgency in northern Mozambique has claimed an estimated 6 000 lives since it started in 2017.
– CAJ News