About the map

Over the past five years, the Central African Republic (CAR) has undergone a profound reconfiguration of power, violence and resource extraction. Following the 2021 military offensive conducted by the Central African Armed Forces alongside Russia’s Wagner Group and affiliated forces, systems of territorial control, illicit trade and mineral exploitation were increasingly consolidated under networks aligned with the presidency and foreign security actors.

These operations reshaped criminal economies by concentrating control over strategic resources, trade corridors and criminal markets, while violence continued to regulate access to territory and revenue.

Drawing on field investigations, satellite imagery, open-source intelligence, confidential sources on the ground and government decrees disclosed through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in the CAR, the map includes:

  • mineral research and exploitation permits issued by the Central African government
  • areas of strategic mining activity
  • zones vulnerable to violence
  • armed actors’ territorial influence

This platform visualizes the intersections between mining operations, armed actors, state-aligned networks and areas affected by insecurity and conflict dynamics across the CAR.

Map components

Mining permits

Mining permits refer to licences granted by state decree authorizing companies to conduct mineral exploration or extraction within designated areas at industrial, small or artisanal scale.

The data was collected from decrees published through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in the CAR.

Each permit includes additional contextual information, including:

  • company name
  • decree date
  • expiration date
  • permit type
  • substance researched or extracted

This layer reflects information available as of December 2025. Permits attributed between 2021 and 2025 are available for visualization via the time filter.

Areas of mining activity

These areas denote mining sites selected for their high productivity or strategic significance within broader political and conflict dynamics.

Each selected area includes:

  • a short background note
  • contextual analysis
  • satellite imagery and geospatial assessment

This layer reflects information available as of April 2026.

High-risk areas

High-risk areas are zones of heightened tension where the risk of violent incidents and related casualties is elevated.

These areas may include:

  • active conflict zones
  • contested territory
  • strategic trade corridors
  • regions vulnerable to escalating violence

This layer reflects information available as of March 2026.

Territorial control

The territorial control layer distinguishes between government and allied forces on one side and non-state armed groups on the other. It also identifies protected areas where park rangers are the dominant force.

This layer reflects information available as of September 2025.

Government and allies

Government and allied forces refer to the Central African Armed Forces and associated actors, including:

  • the Wagner Group
  • bilaterally deployed Rwandan Defence Forces
  • pro-government militias

Rebel groups

Rebel groups refer to non-state armed actors operating outside state authority, including factions involved in or re-entering disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes.

Park rangers

Park rangers are armed personnel serving under the Ministry of Water and Forests, often trained and deployed through international conservation initiatives.

Grey area

The grey area represents the sparsely populated eastern regions of the CAR, where limited state presence and low population density make territorial control less clearly defined.

These areas may nevertheless provide temporary sanctuary or passage for:

  • armed groups
  • poachers
  • herders
  • transnational criminal networks

Methodology

The observatory’s analysis combines field investigations, satellite imagery, open-source intelligence, confidential sources on the ground and government mining decrees disclosed through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

The platform integrates geospatial analysis with conflict and mining data to map the relationship between mineral exploitation, territorial influence and insecurity across the CAR. The methodology is designed to provide a contextualized overview of mining permits, strategic mining activity, territorial control and violence risk areas.

About the Observatory

The Observatory on Organized Crime and Violence in Central Africa, led by the Institute for Security Studies and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, is a policy and research initiative uncovering how transnational organized crime drives armed conflict and violent extremism in Central Africa.

Our team of researchers, field investigators, academics and open-source intelligence analysts delivers timely, actionable analysis to guide effective policies that promote peace and the rule of law in the region.