VIII. Beneficiaries of the Illicit Diamond Trade Research conducted by Human Rights Watch suggests that the police and military have benefitted greatly from access to Marange’s mineral wealth. Although it was not possible to trace the proceeds of diamond sales, Human Rights Watch believes that revenue from the gems mined by the police and military has also enriched senior ZANU-PF officials and provided an important revenue stream for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which is underwriting ZANU-PF activities as well as military operations. Human Rights Watch research suggests that both the bank and senior members of the party have been complicit in the human rights violations in Marange district.150 Police “Reaction Teams” One police officer in Harare told Human Rights Watch that ZANU-PF officials often worked with police units stationed in Marange to secure access to the fields. He explained: There were two different police teams operating in Marange: regular police based in Marange, and “reaction teams” of rotating support units who would raid both the police and the local miners. Reaction teams were effectively advance teams to clear the diamond fields... [for] an [incoming] team of miners accompanying a senior ZANU-PF politician or military officer. As reaction teams, we had to make sure that no local miner was present to witness when our seniors were on the field. We would only let the miners back after the politicians were long gone.151 According to several miners interviewed by Human Rights Watch who experienced raids by reaction teams, the police would drive them off the field, and then trucks would come onto the fields carrying people the miners suspected to be linked to senior government officials: We do not know for sure who the people were who came to work in the diamond fields on certain nights after reaction teams cleared us off the fields. The police we work with in our syndicates told us reaction teams make way for big chefs [senior leaders] in ZANU-PF to dig for diamonds. 150 Human Rights Watch interviews with soldier C.R. and middleman K.K., Harare, February 2, 2009; and with police officer O.D., middleman R.M., and local miner H.N., Mutare, February 21, 2009. 151 Human Rights Watch interview with police officer S.M., Harare, February 13, 2009. 47 Human Rights Watch | June 2009