For decades, Scottish geologist and gem dealer Campbell Bridges navigated the risks that came with mining precious stones in Africa.At his camp deep in the Kenyan bush, he spent nights in a treehouse to stay safe from wild animals. He used a python to stand guard over his cache of colored gems and more than once chased away marauders attempting to poach from his caves.
But Bridges' life and adventurous career ended abruptly this week when his truck was ambushed in southeastern Kenya by a mob armed with spears, machetes, and bows and arrows. Police and family members say the attackers appeared to be linked to a gang seeking to seize control of Bridges' lucrative mining concession.Bridges died Tuesday from stab wounds, officials said. His son, Bruce, and two Kenyan colleagues were injured in the attack.
In addition to his son, Bridges was survived by his wife, Judith, and daughter, Laura, a law student in Chicago. Like Bruce Bridges, they are U.S. citizens.
Bruce Bridges said his father had been fighting for the last three years against by a group of Kenyans -- who he said were backed by local government officials -- seeking to drive him away.After Kenyan mining officials upheld the senior Bridges' legal rights to mine the land earlier this year, the group turned to violence and intimidation, including roadblocks, harassment and death threats, the son said.
19 comments:
This was senseless, lawless violence symptomatic of deeper problems in Kenya: social inequality, political instability and 'the post-colonial condition'. If it was a Kenyan geologist in a poor, hostile community in Scotland in 2009 they may/may not have killed him. But they'd def have terrorized him and his family enough to leave lifelong scars; whereas Bridges and his family in Kenya never, ever occupied 2nd class citizen status.
Senseless?
Why you say that sister?
Makes perfect sense to me.
You can't go digging up precious gems from under the feet of poor people.
"Science" or no "science".
Just because a grave robber calls himself an archeologist doesn't make it not theft.
Just because a gold digger calls himself a "gemologist" don't mean he aint pushing packs on somebody else's block.
GGGGGGGGGUnit!
Remove the terms "gem expert" and "world renowned" from the article and all you have is a modern-day colonialist who got sent packing by people who were sick of him stealing their shit.
Serves him right. He probably bribed the mining officials for those rights. I guess he didn't know that "the white man" is no longer the colonial master in Kenya.
Why didn't his family have Kenyan nationality ? Kenya was good enough to give him his gems??
Senseless because they're now wanted on charges of murder; they wanted to mine that land and in rage they thought killing was the best option. But what good is it now when they face imprisonment for murder and illegal mining? And what happens to the families to whom these 20/30 men were prob the breadwinners?
And say they had taken over the land - more power to them. But again to do what - participate in an exploitative gem markets, and what abt the rivalries that may have emerged between the groups like what's happening the diamond fields in Zimbabwe.
I'm not disputing the right of indigenous peoples to their land but the method and its consequences.
peace
" But what good is it now when they face imprisonment for murder and illegal mining? And what happens to the families to whom these 20/30 men were prob the breadwinners?" KW
Murder and land grab worked quite well for the British when they came to Kenya.
Hell, it was quite profitable.
One man's "mob" is another man's Revolutionary Freedom Fighters defeating the capitalist exploiters.
I believe Sista Kon Womyn that the only difference between these local Kenyans and the colonists of the American Revolution is the way the story is told.
What makes the gems "exploitive"?
When the Africans began to trade in precious stones outside of the de beers diamond monopoly, all of a sudden this meme ... "Conflict Diamond" emerged.
It was invented to imply the diamonds controlled directly by the diamond monopoly were somehow more free of exploitation than diamonds they did not control.
Complete bullshit.
I hope those brothers scrape up a few gems, buy some weapons, secure a few more mines, dig up a few more gems, buy some weapons, get some SUV's and rims.
"One man's "mob" is another man's Revolutionary Freedom Fighters defeating the capitalist exploiters."
...And when the freedom fighters become the exploiters?
What makes the gems "exploitive"?
Because they might not get as high a price on those gems as Bridges and they have to sell their stuff on underground markets.
"When the Africans began to trade in precious stones outside of the de beers diamond monopoly, all of a sudden this meme ... "Conflict Diamond" emerged"
I couldn't agree more. For a long time De Beers and German mining companies looted diamonds out of Zimbabwe in trucks filled with soil claiming they were sending the soil for samples and they'd only found traces of minerals. De Beers having a small base in Zim were able to operate quietly & the Germans owned gold mines so they thought it was all good...Till the govt caught on what they were up to.
"Because they might not get as high a price on those gems as Bridges and they have to sell their stuff on underground markets." KW
But I bet you they will get more than if they didn't kill Bridges and he and his family kept all the money.
Exactly! De Beers are crooks.
Which is why I don't understand UBM's knee jerk defense of every corrupt exploitative move of white / colonists and condemnation of similar tactics when the indigenous people fight fire with fire.
TRUE! Too many times people are exploited and they get a fraction of their dues. Same thing with mutlinationals and commercial farmers in Africa.
I don't condone violence but sometimes its the equal and opposite reaction to oppression. And y'can't be protective of oppression bec its done be White people and then cry foul when Black people react; that's the law of force. & the Somali pirates are doing jst that now the EU diplomats are caucausing abt it proposing "nation building intervention".
Funny & unsurprising is how the story is being reported by the diff newspapers & people; Bridges' son says they came down the hill like "ants" & the Huffington Post began with the words: "Assailants armed with arrows, spears and machetes killed a Scottish-born geologist" like they were re-writing Conrad's Heart of Darkness...*SMH*
If Africans knew how to mine and farm their own land, they wouldn't need Whites to show them how.
Instead, all they know how to do is whinnnnne (play the victim card) and kill.
Unfortunately, when you kill your cash cow, you got nothing left. The more smart Whites they kill, the worse off they'll become. It's a simple formula of lowering the population IQ one White peson at a time. See Zimbabwe.
The shit is hitting the fan. Arthur C. Clarke predicted this in 2060 in many ways. It will only be a matter of time until Africa rises again. The situation is similar in principle to what has happened all over the world in colonized places. People either totally cosign with the oppressor or they say screw it. Seems like the locals got pissed that some foreigner had rights to mine their land and make money whereas the locals are impoverished.
PS can anyone say BLAME the VICTIM to our troll? Heh!
p-dunks, "punks jump up to get beat down"
Can anyone say playing the victimhood card?
Look Africans ain't gonna rise unless they beg White colonialists back in to tell them what to do. Because face it, they just don't have it in them. On their own, they haven't even gotten past the Agrarian Age, which most other races passed through what, several thousand years ago??
for anyone who knew him he was a great man. to anyone who commented on this story about campbell taking something that wasnt his i say f*ck you.
you make me sick. You dont even know the situation. its not a black vs white thing you stupid f*ck. it was a criminal mob who attacked. Campbell was a humanitarian. He gave back more to the land and its people that then their own gov.
know your facts you animals.
"He gave back more to the land and its people that then their own gov. "
Anon
Apparently the local gentlemen who beat him to death didn't feel he "gave back" quite enough.
(Who in the fuck was he to be "giving" anything "back" to the people?)
Who the fuck was he? Read his bio you dumb ass.
And the "gentlemen" were actually criminals...in fact the "gentlemen" who killed Campbell was also convicted of raping a 14 year old girl. WOW...makes you wonder just how much of a "gentleman" he was. So as you sit in your ivory ( or is it ebony?) tower and cast judgment on people and information you know nothing about. I would suggest you spend some time researching the facts....or is this tough to do from the protection of your armchair?
I would wage serious money that you are the type of person who screams "long live africa" from a corner starbucks....
You are nothing more than a jackass who "blogs"...makes me wonder how much YOU give back to your people in Africa?
As i mentioned, Campbell was a man who LOVED Africa, the people, and the land. He did more for "YOUR" people than you will ever know.
Have some respect...admit it was senseless, and be a decent human being.
A European ...
mining African gems ...
in Africa ...
from under the feat of Africans ...
should be loved by said Africans ...
because he was NICE to them?
Because he did FOR them?
Oh. He LOVED Africa. I bet he did! Shit, who wouldn't love a land that made them rich?
Hell, all of England should LOVE Africa.
Man fuck that gold digger.
I hope some young local brothers are staking their claims on those mines as we speak.
well said dv! the fool thought he could pat the africans on the back smile and steal their wealth.
he was the criminal just like all his white ancestor criminals. hell. africans can steal from themselves. we don't need a scotsman or any other " westerner" to come in and steal what is ours. fuck that gem digger indeed!
Only under post-colonial racism is a white benefactor condemned and a brutal black dictator like Mugabe celebrated.
Where white charitors become gold diggers
And blacks dictators nigger saviors
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