Some Notes on China-Central African Republic Relations

Contrary to popular narratives, China—a country that “doesn’t play by the rules”—has an exceedingly difficult time navigating a no-rules environment in CAR's mining sector.

China-Central African Republic Relations

Since the Central African Republic gained independence from France in 1960, relations between the PRC and Bangui have been off-and-on for one principal reason: Taiwan. In fact, both Liberia and CAR have switched between recognition of Beijing or Taipei three times.[1] Bangui specifically recognized Taiwan as the official representative of China from 1962-1964, 1968-1976, and 1981-1998.[2] Since 1998, Bangui has recognized the PRC as the official representative of China.

Initial Chinese outreach to CAR focused on medical assistance. In 1978 the first Chinese medical mission, supported by the province of Zhejiang, arrived in CAR and set up in M’Baiki, Lobaye province.[3] The mission provided general medical check-ups, ophthalmology, laboratory testing, and other services.[4] Given the high quality of care, many Central Africans outside M’baiki made the trip.[5]

Trade between China and the Central African Republic has always been small. This should come as no surprise, as CAR ranks 188 out of 189 countries measured by the Human Development Index (HDI).[6] Nonetheless, imports from China to Bangui reached $19mm in 2018 (up from $11mm in 2008), while exports to China topped $54mm in 2018 (up from $21mm in 2008).[7] That exports are ~2.8x imports reflects Chinese companies’ interests in mining and minerals, notably gold. And while these numbers may appear small, one should not forget that CAR’s GDP is ~$2.2bn, and its population remains small—only 4.6mm people.[8]

Central African Republic debt to China is likely $71mm—of which $36mm is invested in communication, and $21mm in Baoli hydropower.[9] Thus, Chinese debt represents only 10 percent of CAR debt stock, which stands at ~$770mm in 2018.[10]

Beyond the numbers, however, two buildings in Bangui embody the PRC’s presence in the country.

In 2010, the Chinese government renovated L’Hôpital de l’Amitié.[11] The hospital is incredibly important for the healthcare system in CAR. For example, it is the only hospital in the region that treats obstetric fistula in women.[12] According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obstetric fistula is tied to obstructed labor, a major cause of female mortality in child birth.[13] The hospital also treats malaria and cataracts.[14]

China’s medical assistance has proven consistent. Most recently, China has provided crucial medical aid amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 13, Chinese Ambassador to CAR, Chen Dong, announced a further donation of 15 thousand masks, thousands of surgical protection materials, and 30 thousand testing kits.[15] Critically, on August 5 the Chinese government flew in 5 respirators.[16] CAR only had 3 respirators before the pandemic.[17]

China’s presence is not relegated solely to medical assistance, however. In December 2019 President Touadéra attended the opening ceremony for another notable building in Bangui—the Ministry of Mines and Geology.[18] At the inauguration, the Minister of Mines and Geology, Mboli Fatran, stated that the new building “provides an appropriate working environment for the staff […] and confirms the vision of the Central African oil sector, which is to contribute to the development of the country.”[19] The press release notes that the new building is a gift of the People’s Republic of China through two enterprises: PTI-IAS and PTIAL.[20]

According to WikiLeaks, PTI-IAs is a Qatari-Chinese joint venture.[21] “PTI” refers to Poly Technologies Inc., a Chinese state-owned defense manufacturer.[22] In 2007 PTI-IAS signed a contract for oil exploration with CAR’s Minister of Finance, Sylvain Ndoutingai, which was likely a cover for weapons sales.[23] The construction of a new building to house the Ministry of Mines was a clear indication of Chinese interest in natural resources. And while oil exploration remains only a narrative in CAR’s outreach to foreign investors, Chinese companies’ historic interest has been in gold.

Chinese Gold Mining: Three Events

Much of the attention revolving around CAR, violence, and natural resources centers on diamonds. This makes sense, of course; artisanal diamond mines have funded rebel group operations and fueled violence, and not just in the Central African Republic. The politics and discourse surrounding “blood diamonds” is mature: Hollywood has made movies, international laws are in place, and dedicated NGOs work in the field.

What applies to diamonds, though, does not necessarily apply to gold. According to one lawyer working natural resource law in CAR,[24] NGOs in the region have “largely invested in chain of custody for diamonds, not gold.” But Chinese companies, “have largely been involved in leases or exploratory leases for gold.” From an international point of view, Chinese operations in CAR’s mining sector have largely been off the radar.

This is starting to change, however. Thanks to a terrible environmental record, Chinese gold mining companies increasingly find themselves in the spotlight. As the lawyer notes: “in several cases the environmental damage of mining is so great that some local communities have chosen to fight. These companies have promised to build schools, etc. And one thing is constant in CAR; when mining companies don’t respect promises, villagers fight.” Three recent events prove this point.

On July 27 this year, Amnesty International called for investigations into Chinese gold mining in Bouzoum, in north-western CAR. Amnesty International stated: “The four Chinese gold mining companies left the area in late April 2020. But the deaths of seven people at the abandoned mining sites and the failure to restore the Ouham River, leav[e] it potentially dangerous.”[25] The four companies were Tian Xiang, Tian Run, Meng, and SMC Mao.[26]

Yet the Ministry of Mines and Geology had suspended the mining companies’ operations on March 25, 2019.[27] Father Aurelio Gazzera—a missionary in the region—had been recording the environmental degradation.[28] While the ministry stated that it made the decision independently, Father Gazzera’s campaign on his blog and Facebook was a likely influence.[29]

Social activism is one means for the community to fight back against environmental degradation and human rights abuses, but there have been more violent events as well. To the south of Bouzoum, on October 4, 2018 three Chinese nationals were murdered in Sosso-Nakombo. Narratives differ, but locals reported that the Chinese nationals went out on the river with a youth leader, who later drowned. The Chinese nationals were then lynched.[30]

Many local journalists were quick to attribute the violence to Chinese companies’ oppressive policies. Joseph Akouissonne de Kitiki wrote: “tensions have been visible for a long time in some mining areas. The anarchic proliferation of operating authorizations granted to Chinese […], the massive arrival of Chinese often accompanied by illegals […] has nourished, within the dispossessed population, a feeling of injustice and frustration.”[31] It is important to note that this author places blame both on the local government—for the anarchic proliferation of operating authorizations—and the Chinese companies’ illegal activities.

Chinese media was less nuanced. Xinhua news agency reported on October 6, 2018 that: “a boat carrying four Chinese and a local young man capsized Thursday in the town of Sosso-Nakombo, causing the disappearance of the Central African. The surviving Chinese then went to a gendarmerie brigade to report the incident. At this moment, bandits, who were informed of the disappearance of their compatriot, came to attack the Chinese, killing three of them.”[32] The murder of three Chinese nationals raised concerns over worker safety in Africa—an increasingly important issue that Chinese companies face. The Global Times reported: “A deadly attack on Chinese nationals in the Central African Republic may influence Chinese investments amid security concerns for Chinese companies and workers.”[33] China’s ambassador, Chen Dong, reacted to the incident swiftly, requesting CAR security reinforcements in Sosso-Nakombo and evacuating 58 Chinese nationals from a neighboring town.[34]

The event reflects a consistent problem for Chinese companies working in CAR. According to an interview, Chinese companies “operate under the law, and establish a working relationship with the government.”[35] In CAR, villages with access to land—called cooperatives—have the legal right to establish relationships with companies interested in extracting resources. The cooperatives sell mining concessions to outside companies. The problem for foreign nationals, including Chinese, is that some cooperatives are fictitious—implying government corruption at the federal level.[36] Thus, according to one source, the Chinese are incredibly frustrated “when they get kicked out of these villages. They have financed a new building for the Ministry of Mines and Geology, and provided COVID assistance, respirators, and built a hospital!”

Finally, and most recently, on August 30 a solider of the Central African Armed Forces—the army of the central government (FACA)—was killed. The armed forces had arrived in the village of Gaga, in north-western CAR to restore peace after locals had destroyed and looted the administrative building of a Chinese mining company.[37] Allegedly, a member of the company’s security team shot a villager looking for “leftover bits of gold.”[38] Armed militias quickly supported the locals, putting them into direct confrontation with the state’s forces.[39] After the arrival of the Minister of Mines, Mboli Fatrane, calm returned.[40] Of course, the exact details of this incident are far from clear.

What is clear, however, is that these three cases show that local Central African communities do have agency. When environmental degradation becomes too great, or human rights violations too many, local villages have consistently revolted against the companies not upholding their end of the bargain.

The government in Bangui has agency as well. Government officials profit from selling false mining concessions to outsiders such as China. Bangui also censures these companies if local pressure campaigns prove too great.

Conclusions

China is simply one of many foreign actors in the Central African Republic. And all foreign actors find the operating environment difficult.

Statelessness in CAR, and the lack of rule of law, has both advantages and disadvantages. Chinese companies can skirt environmental regulations that would be necessary in other countries; they thereby save money. But working in CAR carries a significant risk premium; the companies that have pushed villagers too far have found themselves kicked out, or worse. The Chinese government expresses its frustration when Chinese nationals are killed, but there is little it can do on the ground. Contrary to popular narratives, China—a country that “doesn’t play by the rules”—has an exceedingly difficult time navigating a no-rules environment.

China’s presence in CAR is not monolithic. The government’s contributions to healthcare have been invaluable and are greatly appreciated by the population. A local journalist who works on disinformation in the country—Maka Gbossokotto—perhaps summarizes it best: “the average Central African appreciates the […] PRC, which supports the country with schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, government buildings, and health […] All this, despite the anarchic exploitation of the country’s natural resource wealth by the Chinese companies.”[41] If Beijing were to reign in Chinese companies’ environmental practices, it is quite possible that its soft power would only grow in this small, fragile, but important country.

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[1] “Saying No to China in 2018: Taiwan’s Last African Allies.” Asia by Africa, https://www.asiabyafrica.com/point-a-to-a/taiwan-allies-africa-burkina-faso. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[2] Ibid. 1

[3] Déc 26, Publié par Chine Magazine |., et al. “40 ans de Mission médicale chinoise en Centrafrique.” Chine Magazine, 26 Dec. 2018, https://www.chine-magazine.com/40-ans-de-mission-medicale-chinoise-en-centrafrique/.

[4] Ibid. 3

[5] Ibid. 3

[6] Human Development Reports. http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/CAF. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[7] “Central African Republic-China Relations.” Centre for Africa-China Studies, https://www.cacs.org.za/central-african-republic-china-relations/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[8] Ibid. 7

[9] China Africa Research Initiative Loans Database. https://chinaafricaloandata.org/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[10] https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/32581/Central-African-Republic-Joint-World-Bank-IMF-Debt-Sustainability-Analysis-July-2019.pdf?sequence=1

[11] Déc 26, Publié par Chine Magazine |., et al. “40 ans de Mission médicale chinoise en Centrafrique.” Chine Magazine, 26 Dec. 2018, https://www.chine-magazine.com/40-ans-de-mission-medicale-chinoise-en-centrafrique/.

[12] Ibid. 11

[13] Obstetric Fistula. https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/10-facts-on-obstetric-fistula. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[14] Ibid. 13.

[15] Centrafrique, Corbeaunews. “COVID-19 : La Chine fournit de nouveau un don des kits sanitaires à la République Centrafricaine - Corbeau News Centrafrique Corbeau News Centrafrique.” Corbeau News Centrafrique, 13 June 2020, https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/covid-19-la-chine-fournit-de-nouveau-un-don-des-kits-sanitaires-a-la-republique-centrafricaine/.

[16] Sango, Ndjoni. “RCA: don de respirateurs chinois au ministère de la santé.” Ndjoni Sango, 6 Aug. 2020, https://ndjonisango.com/2020/08/06/rca-don-de-respirateurs-chinois-au-ministere-de-la-sante/.

[17] “En Centrafrique, 3 respirateurs pour 4,3 millions d’habitants.” CNEWS, https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2020-03-31/en-centrafrique-3-respirateurs-pour-43-millions-dhabitants-942281. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[18] La Cérémonie de l’inauguration Du Nouveau Batiment Du Ministère Des Mines et de La Géologie. | Ministère Des Mines et de La Géologie. https://mines.gouv.cf/actualite/126/la-ceremonie-de-linauguration-du-nouveau-batiment-du-ministere-des-mines-et-de-la. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[19] Ibid. 18

[20] Ibid. 18

[21] WikiLeaks - Oil Contract between the Central African Republic and Chinese Company PTI-IAS. https://wikileaks.org/car-mining/html/PTI-IAS-CAR-Contract/page-1.html. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

[22] Ibid. 21

[23] Ibid. 21

[24] Based on interview October 8, 2020. Anonymous due to the sensitive nature surrounding the source’s work with aid agencies and the local government in Bangui, including the Ministry of Mines.

[25] https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/document/?indexNumber=afr19%2f2708%2f2020&language=en. Accessed 16 Nov. 2020.

[26] Ibid. 24

[27] “Chinese Mining Companies Left a Central African River ‘in Ruins.’” The France 24 Observers, https://observers.france24.com/en/20190411-central-african-republic-river-chinese-mining-companies. Accessed 16 Nov. 2020.

[28] Ibid. 27

[29] Ibid. 27

[30] Trois Chinois Travaillant Dans Des Mines Lynchés En Centrafrique - Africa Radio. https://www.africaradio.com/news/trois-chinois-travaillant-dans-des-mines-lynches-en-centrafrique-139295. Accessed 16 Nov. 2020.

[31] “CENTRAFRIQUE/CHINE : ASSASSINAT DE TROIS CHINOIS DANS LA VILLE MINIÈRE DE SOSSO-NAKOMBO.” Corbeau News Centrafrique, 10 Oct. 2018, https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/centrafrique-chine-assassinat-de-trois-chinois-dans-la-ville-miniere-de-sosso-nakombo/.

[32] 3 Chinese Nationals Killed in Central African Republic - Xinhua | English.News.Cn. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-10/06/c_137514424.htm. Accessed 16 Nov. 2020.

[33] 3 Arrested in Central African Republic for Murder of Chinese Nationals - Global Times. https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1121990.shtml. Accessed 16 Nov. 2020.

[34] Ibid. 33

[35] Interview conducted on October 8, 2020.

[36] Ibid. 35

[37] “Harmful Mines Lead to Unrest in CAR.” Africa Defense Forum, 16 Sept. 2020, https://adf-magazine.com/2020/09/harmful-mines-lead-to-unrest-in-car/.

[38] Ibid. 37

[39] Ibid. 37

[40] Centrafrique, Corbeaunews. “RCA : première nuit calme à Gaga, le ministre des Mines tente sur place de trouver un terrain d’entente avec les belligérants - Corbeau News Centrafrique Corbeau News Centrafrique Corbeau News Centrafrique.” Corbeau News Centrafrique, 2 Sept. 2020, https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/h-2/.

[41] Interview on October 26, 2020.