Following an attack on a nearby village, Gemfields Group, a precious stones miner, has evacuated its Nairoto exploration camp in Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday, February 12, 2023, has been attributed to insurgents in the area.
Cabo Delgado province has been grappling with an Islamic State-linked insurgency since 2017, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and disrupting multibillion-dollar natural gas and mining 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.