Mapping mining activity and armed violence in the Central African Republic
Over the past five years, the Central African Republic (CAR) has seen significant shifts in power, violence, and resource extraction. After the 2021 military offensive involving the Central African Armed Forces, Russia’s Wagner Group, and allies, control over territory, illicit trade, and mineral resources increasingly consolidated under networks linked to the presidency and foreign security forces. These actions redefined criminal economies by controlling resources, trade, and markets, with violence sustaining territorial and revenue control. Using field investigations, satellite imagery, open-source intelligence, local sources, and government decrees from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the map highlights: mineral permits, strategic mining areas, violence-prone zones, and territorial influence of armed groups. This platform visualizes the connections between mining, armed groups, state networks, and conflict zones across CAR.
