Gemfields Group, a precious stone miner, has left its Nairoto exploration camp in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province after an attack on a nearby village.
The assault, which took place on Sunday, February 12, 2023, has been blamed on local insurgents.
Since 2017, the Cabo Delgado province has been battling an insurgency linked to the Islamic State that has claimed thousands of lives and halted multibillion-dollar mining and natural gas projects.
Gemfields owns three-fourths of the exploration camp, located approximately 15 kilometres south-west of the attacked village.
However, the flagship Montepuez ruby mine, which is approximately 83 kilometres north of the attacked village, remains operational and has not been affected.
In October 2022, the company suspended operations at a nearby ruby mine for five days following an attack.