New Books in Political Science Nathan Munier, "Zimbabwe's Diamond Trade: The State, Resource Politics and Development" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Jan 31, 2026
Dr. Nathan Munier, political scientist and author of Zimbabwe's Diamond Trade, studies resource politics and African political economy. He recounts Zimbabwe’s 2006 diamond surge and how portable alluvial gems reshaped ownership and smuggling. He explores shifting buyers and limits of the Kimberley Process. He links diamond control to regime resilience and compares regional resource politics.
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Diamonds Challenge Oil-Centric Theories
- Diamonds can test resource-politics theories developed for oil because their properties differ substantially.
- Nathan Munier studies Zimbabwe's 2006 diamond find to see how non-oil resources reshape state behavior.
Blurred State Roles Undermine Governance
- Zimbabwe functioned as a low-capacity democracy with blurred state roles rather than a wholly weak state.
- Nathan Munier highlights that officials often participated in informal markets, complicating governance.
Alluvial Diamonds Enable Smuggling
- The 2006 discovery mattered because Zimbabwe's diamonds are alluvial and easy to extract informally.
- Their portability made smuggling lucrative and enforcement especially difficult.
