Mob Invades Gemfields' Ethiopia Operations

RAPAPORT... A mob of 300 to 500 people overran Gemfields Group'semerald-exploration operations in Ethiopia on Friday, forcing staff members toflee. Employees, contractors and service providers at Web GemstoneMining (WGM) were safely evacuated to a town a two-hour drive away, the companyreported Monday. Two WGM team members suffered minor injuries, with the gemstoneproducer expecting both of them to recover fully. "While the motive of the mob remains unclear, it is believedthat they may have been spurred by a faction seeking a portion of WGM'slicense," Gemfields said. The miner holds an emerald-exploration licensecovering 200 square kilometers, and began collecting bulk samples in August2017. Gemfields owns 75% of WGM, with the rest belonging to 50individuals, either personally or through a cooperative of local people, mainlyfrom the nearby village of Web. Gemfields acquired its stake in the business inFebruary 2015. Local authorities have safeguarded WGM's residential campand mine offices, as well as the site that WGM's contractors used. Thebulk-sampling operation has "yet to be secured," the company noted Monday. Ethiopia lifted a national state of emergency on June 5. It declaredthe measures in February after a wave of anti-government protests and theresignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.