Report

Central African Republic

New report and interactive map explore the drivers of conflict


In anew reportandwebmapon the crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Belgian research group IPIS and the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) show that access to resources remains the predominant driver of conflict in CAR. The report establishes how all armed groups operating in CAR engage in predation on one or more economic sectors. Such predation is not only a key determinant of an armed group's movements and activities, but provides essential sustenance to its rank and file.Roadblocks generaterevenue for both the state and armed groups and taxation of trade routes asphyxiates the economy.

Two thirds of all reported incidents are characterised predominantly by violence against civilians, particularly along key pastoralist routes and in mining zones.Humanitarians are increasingly targeted.

The interactive web-mapreveals a correlation between the presence of mines and incidents. In 2017 we saw some of the deadliest armed group clashes in the east and center of the country, attesting to the significance that armed groups place on securing control over mining resources. Mining communities in the west continue to seek security assurances by arming themselves or paying others, often anti-Balaka. As such artisanal mining is highly militarized, even in areas not ostensibly under armed groups control. ’The Kimberley Process has established a ‘compliant’ zone and monitors diamond mining and trade in the west of the country’,says Peer Schouten, researcher and co-author of the report.’However, constant monitoring is required to see if and how this measure helps the CAR government to control the area, making communities less vulnerable to predation and less dependent on armed groups for security.’

Predation is present in all relevant economic sectors. ’Pastoralists pay taxes in grazing areas, on their way to markets or just to secure their safety. Anti-balaka violence against pastorarlists also caused pastoralists to move from southern CAR to the north. This, in turn, renders the north a highly lucrative region for armed groups.The consequences are tangible: an increase in violent incidents and destabilized local economies’, clarifies Schouten.‘In the south and east, herders were pushed deeper into rebel held territory, a notable background factor in the region’s ethnic conflicts in 2016 and 2017’.

 

‘The extent to which any peace deal or strengthened central African state authority can move the country beyond armed conflict is likely to be determined by how sustainably they deal with access to resources for both armed groups and civilians. Establishing trust between citizen and state is crucial in this context. Moreover, understanding the regional dynamics of the crisis, particularly the role of Chad, Cameroon and DRC will likewise be vital to managing structural drivers to the conflict by securing the crucial assistance of those states in ending the crisis in CAR’, concludes Peer Schouten.

DIIS Experts

Peer Schouten
Peace and violence
Senior Researcher
+45 32698654
Central African Republic
A Conflict Mapping