The UAE Casts Curious Shadow in Africa

 The Geneva-based The Responsible Security Association published on 4 December 2024 a commentary titled "Casting a Shadow: The UAE in Africa" by Raphael Parens, Foreign Policy Research Institute.  

The UAE is heavily involved in civil wars in Libya and Sudan.  Illicit gold flows through Abu Dhabi fund armed groups, mercenaries, and juntas in West Africa.  The UAE may even be considering establishing its own "foreign legions," drawing from the examples of the Russian Wagner Group and the French Foreign Legion to build the country's brand of aggressive foreign involvement.  

Central African Republic Suspends Chinese Mining Company

 The Times of India ran on 10 June 2024 an Associated Press story titled "Central African Republic Government Suspends Chinese Mining Company for Alleged Ties to Armed Groups."

The Central African Republic's Ministry of Mines accused a Chinese gold and diamond mining company of "intelligence with armed groups, illegal exploitation, illegal introduction of foreign subjects into mining areas, non-payment of taxes and lack of activity reports."  It said the company cooperated with armed militias and suspended its operations.

Elusive Figure Behind the Wagner Group in Africa

The Wall Street Journal published on 21 September 2023 an article titled "The Elusive Figure Running Wagner's Embattled Empire of Gold and Diamonds" by Benoit Faucon and Gabriele Steinhauser.   

French educated and multi-lingual Dmitry Sytii is likely to play a key role in running the Wagner Group's multibillion dollar African empire of mercenaries, gold, lumber, and diamonds.  

Russia Plans to Continue Support of Wagner Group for Influence in Africa

 The Wall Street Journal published on 28 June 2023 an article titled "Putin Moves to Seize Control of Wagner's Global Empire" by Benoit Faucon, Joe Parkinson, and Drew Hinshaw.  

The article reports recent assurances by Russian officials to African leaders in countries such as the Central African Republic and Mali that Moscow will continue to support their Wagner Group operations.  Russia sees this as an effective way to maintain influence in these countries.  

The Wagner Group's Plan for State Capture in the Central African Republic

 The Sentry published in June 2023 a 74-page report titled "Architects of Terror: The Wagner Group's Blueprint for State Capture in the Central African Republic."

Although written before the mutiny of the Wagner Group in Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated publicly that the Wagner Group will remain in Africa, including in the Central African Republic.  The Sentry points out that CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera's inner circle retains control of operations within the capital of Bangui, but the Wagner Group has managed to establish miliary control of operations outside Bangui.

The study argues that the Wagner Group "has perfected a blueprint for state capture, supporting a criminalized state hijacked by the Central African president and his inner circle, amassing military power, securing access to and plundering precious minerals, and subduing the population with terror."

Wagner Group in CAR Helps Russia Avoid Sanctions

Africa Defense Forum magazine published on 2 May 2023 an article titled "Wagner Group's CAR Mining Operations Help Russia Evade Sanctions." 

The mercenary Wagner Group helps Russia circumvent sanctions by laundering gold and diamonds from the Central African Republic to finance the invasion of Ukraine.  

Russia's Wagner Group Fuels Terrorism in Africa

 Foreign Policy posted on 25 January 2023 an article titled "How Russia's Wagner Group Is Fueling Terrorism in Africa" by Colin P. Clarke.

Russia's Wagner Group mercenaries are deployed to Sudan, Mali, and the Central African Republic to provide security to kleptocratic regimes in return for access to valuable commodities, including diamonds, gold, uranium, and other precious resources.  The Wagner Group's presence in a country has energized jihadi groups and given Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliates greater freedom of movement and space to operate.  

China, Africa, and Rare Earth Elements

Brookings published on 29 December 2022 a paper titled "Could Africa Replace China as the World's Source of Rare Earth Elements?" by Gracelin Baskaran. 

China now has 60 percent of global production and 85 percent of processing capacity of rare earth elements.  Africa's potential in rare earths is largely untapped given low levels of exploration.  Scaling up exploration of rare earth elements could put it in a position to compete with China.

Zimbabwe-China Extractive, Energy, and Financial Service Sector Relations

 The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association published on 12 September 2022 a "Policy Brief on Zim-China Relations."

The policy brief analyzes the positive and negative aspects of Chinese investments within the extractive sector with a focus on three key minerals (gold, diamonds, and chrome), energy, and financial services sector.

China-Angola Relations

 Modern Diplomacy published on 30 July 2022 a commentary titled "The Angola Factor in China's Relations with Africa" by Shivangi Basu, intern at the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement.

The focus of the commentary is on China's interest in Angola's natural resources, especially oil and diamonds.  

DRC: Illegal Mining and Logging by Chinese Companies

 The Pulitzer Center published on 1 June 2022 an account titled "Chinese Companies Linked to Illegal Logging and Mining in Northern DRC" by Gloria Pallares.

This is an account of illegal mining and logging by Chinese-owned companies in the northern DRC.  Working with corrupt Congolese officials, the companies ignore local laws, environmental concerns, and human rights practices.  

Will Russia Turn to Africa to Avoid Impact of Sanctions?

 Time published on 8 April 2022 a commentary titled "Putin's Exploitation of Africa Could Help Him Evade Sanctions" by George Clooney, Justyna Gudzowska, and John Prendergast.

The authors conclude that denying Russia long-term access to resources in Africa is essential to ensuring that sanctions on Russia are effective.  The choice for African states is between corruption and good governance, development, democracy, responsible investment, and human rights.  

Russia's Program in Central African Republic

The New York Times published on 30 September 2019 a lengthy article titled "Gems, Warlords and Mercenaries: Russia's Playbook in Central African Republic" by Dionne Searcey.

The article attributes Russia's extensive engagement in the Central African Republic, including the presence of about 400 mercenaries with the private Wagner Group, to an interest in diamond mining.

Social Impact of Chinese Mining Operations in Africa

The German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) published in October 2017 a paper titled "At Africa's Expense? Disaggregating the Social Impact of Chinese Mining Operations" by Tim Wegenast, Georg Struver, Juliane Giesen, and Mario Krauser, all of whom are affiliated with GIGA and/or the University of Konstanz.


The paper examines whether Chinese-controlled mining promotes anti-Chinese sentiments among the local populations of sub-Saharan African countries. It concludes that the effect of Chinese mining companies on African local development is ambiguous. While proximity to Chinese-operated mines is associated with anti-Chinese sentiments and unemployment, populations living close to Chinese mining areas enjoy better infrastructure such as paved roads or piped water.

Chinese Investment in Zimbabwe Diamonds and Impact on Labor

The University of the Witwatersrand Global Labour Column published in May 2015 a report titled "Chinese Investments, Marange Diamonds and 'Militarized Capitalism' in Zimbabwe" by Crispen Chinguno, Taurai Mereki, and Nunurayi Mutyanda, all at University of Witwatersrand.

The report examines the experience of workers at the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe.  Key management of the companies is drawn primarily from serving or retired Chinese and Zimbabwean military personnel. 

Mining in South Sudan

The US Institute of Peace published in April 2013 a report titled "Establishing a Mining Sector in Postwar South Sudan."  The authors are David K. Deng, research director for the South Sudan Law Society, Paul Mertenskoetter, a student at New York University School of Law, and Luuk van de Vondervoort, who works for the Bonn International Center for Conversion in South Sudan.

The study explains that the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining granted companies licenses to conduct exploration over exceedingly large areas of land.  Some promising areas were even awarded to multiple companies.  Bureaucratic failures led to a considerable amount of confusion among public and private sector actors.  To halt the unregulated distribution of mining rights and permit time for the government to establish its regulatory framework, the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly put in place a moratorium on mining licenses in November 2010.

In December 2012, the President of South Sudan signed a new Mining Act.  This was a welcome step forward but still left room for political influence over decision making, particularly with regard to the granting of licenses, the distribution of benefits from mining ventures, and the applicable standards governing the expropriation of individually and community owned land.

The report concludes that the government and its partners in the private sector should not proceed with any mining activities unless they have secured the free, prior, and informed consent of affected individuals and groups.  The military must be prohibited from engaging in commercial activities in the mining sector, and constitutional post holders should not operate mining companies.  All government decision making must be subject to open and transparent public review, and the benefits of South Sudan's land and mineral wealth must be shared equitably among all the parties involved.