Armed conflicts n CAR put lives in danger, Crisis Group

 Nairobi, 21 Dec – (ANA) - Extreme poverty and armed conflict in the diamond-rich areas of the Central African Republic (CAR) put thousands of lives in danger and demand urgent reform of the mining sector, the International Crisis Group has said.

 In a new report, Dangerous Little Stones: Diamonds in the Central African Republic, the group examines how poor governance, poverty and crime in the diamond business feed conflict in mining zones.

  “Miners enduring poverty and a parasitic state are quick to join rebel groups”, says Ned Dalby, Crisis Group’s Central Africa Analyst. “Meanwhile unchecked criminal networks enable fighters to profit from mining and selling diamonds illegally and continue to prey on civilians”.

 Since President François Bozizé came to power in 2003, industrial diamond mining companies have almost all left, leaving only a huge informal sector.

  “It is high time the government and international partners commit to genuine reform of the mining sector”, says Thierry Vircoulon, Crisis Group’s Central Africa Project Director. “If not, peacebuilding will always be an unfinished business in the CAR”. (ANA)

FA/ANA/21 December 2010-----