 | The stakes are high in Montepuez where the discovery of rubies has led to violence clashes. Discovery of the red gemstone in 2009 sparked a "ruby rush", with thousands of miners arriving to seek their fortunes. The rubies attract artisanal miners from Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria and other nations, whose work is illegal. Treating a dozen cases of injuries a month and the occasional death, the hospital finds itself on the front line of a turf war between gangs of illegal miners. A cohort of gem traffickers has also arrived to trade in the stones. | |