In June, the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) announced that it would resume diamond exports after a three-year ban implemented in 2013 as a result of the adoption of the Kimberley Process. The ban was put in place to prevent the sale of diamonds financing armed group violence, which broke out in CAR in early 2013.

Prior to its ban on diamond exports, CAR was ranked as the world’s 10th largest diamond producer, with an estimated output value of more than $62 million between 2011 and 2012. Removing this ban could enable incredible opportunities for economic growth in CAR. However, many concerns remain regarding illicit diamond trade in the region.

Soldier stands guard overlooking diamond miners. Photo credit: Global Witness

Soldier stands guard overlooking diamond miners.
Photo credit: Global Witness

Just last year, a UN panel of experts committee stated that blood diamonds continue to fund violent conflict in CAR, primarily in relation to sectarian conflict between former-Séléka forces and anti-balaka militias. We also know that Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels active in CAR engage in the trafficking of natural minerals, including diamonds.

In this year’s LRA Crisis Tracker Quarter 1 Report, our Crisis Tracker team identified a concerning trend of LRA combatants looting communities in artisanal mining areas of CAR to collect food and natural resources like diamonds and gold. These trends were identified thanks to information reported by Central African communities through Invisible Children’s Early Warning Network. Because of these reports, we have documentation of several LRA attacks this year on remote mining communities in CAR that otherwise may have gone unknown.

10 LRA attacks related to mining in CAR have been documented in 2016.

10 LRA attacks related to mining in CAR have been documented in 2016.

As people of CAR work to overcome a history of cyclical violence, and as diamond exports resume, it is imperative that the international community continue to monitor the trade of natural resources in and out of the country and ensure that vulnerable communities are protected from exploitation.

Our programs help to identify and disrupt patterns of violence in central Africa, including violence in communities targeted for their natural resources. Our Early Warning Network connects these communities to one another and the outside world by allowing them to warn each other and protect themselves from attacks. Reports are then mapped and analyzed through our LRA Crisis Tracker project, to help inform the responses of key actors including humanitarian groups, protection actors, conservation experts, and policymakers.

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