Central African Republic Halts Operations of Chinese Mining Firm

The Central African Republic’s Ministry of Mines has suspended the activities of Daqing SARL, a Chinese gold and diamond mining company, accusing it of cooperating with armed militias.

The company operates in Mingala, a town in southern Central Africa, which has been in conflict since 2013. The country has a vast mineral wealth, particularly gold and diamonds, but has been plagued by fighting between the country’s armed forces and the Coalition of Patriots for Change, an anti-government armed group.

The peace deal reached in 2019 only eased the fighting, and six of the 14 signatory armed groups left the agreement. The Coalition of Patriots for Change was founded in 2020 following the agreement.

Over the past decade, rebel groups have operated with impunity in the conflict-ridden country, preventing foreign companies from carrying out mineral exploration.

Many of the Chinese-run companies operating in the country have faced security concerns, with recent attacks on Chinese-run mines and uprisings.