Report: $2 Billion in Diamonds Stolen From Zimbabwe Fields

 Report: $2 Billion in Diamonds Stolen From Zimbabwe Fields

A rights group says nearly $2 billion worth of diamonds have been stolen from Zimbabwe's Marange diamond fields since 2008, with the money going to cronies of President Robert Mugabe.

Partnership¹ Africa Canada says Zimbabwe's minister of mines, Obert Mpofu, has allowed military and security officials to plunder² the fields for personal gain instead of using the diamonds to help turn around Zimbabwe's ailing³ economy.

The Canada-based non-profit says "hundreds of millions of dollars owed to Zimbabwe's treasury⁴ have been lost in both illegal and legal trades."

The group stated its findings in a 36-page report released Monday. Zimbabwean officials have not responded to the accusations⁵.

However, a state-run newspaper [The Herald] reports that Zimbabwe Defense⁶ Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa has challenged fellow cabinet members to show any evidence they have that diamond revenue is being taken by the army.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has repeatedly said that money from diamond sales is not reaching the treasury, fueling suspicions of corruption⁷.

Zimbabwe's military seized control of the Marange fields in 2008, allegedly killing⁸ hundreds of small-scale miners.

The Kimberley Process, which monitors the international diamond trade, imposed an export embargo⁹ on Marange diamonds in November 2009, but lifted it two years later despite protests from human rights groups.

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 plunder   

vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠

参考例句：

• The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
• Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

3 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

4 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

5 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。