Chinese company operating in Mozambique suspended for collaborating with armed militias in the Central African Republic
The government of the Central African Republic has announced the suspension of the activities of the Chinese company Daqing SARL, which was operating in the mining sector in the country, due to allegations of cooperation with armed militias. According to the government decree made public last Saturday, the Ministry of Mines accused the company of maintaining "intelligence with armed groups, carrying out illegal extraction, illegally introducing foreigners into mining areas, not paying taxes, and failing to submit activity reports."
Daqing SARL operated in the city of Mingala, located in the southern part of the Central African Republic, a region affected by fighting between the country's armed forces and the Coalition of Patriots for Change, an anti-government rebel group. Since 2013, the Central African Republic has been in conflict after predominantly Muslim rebels took power, forcing President François Bozizé to step down, triggering a violent response from predominantly Christian militias.
In Mozambique, Daqing SARL was awarded an international tender in 2010 for natural gas drilling, in an investment valued at $15 million. In February 2011, Chinese companies, including Daqing, requested licenses from the Mozambican government for the exploration and subsequent exploitation of various mineral resources in different regions of the country.
Mozambique is also facing significant internal challenges, particularly in the province of Cabo Delgado, where a violent extremism crisis has already resulted in more than one million internally displaced persons, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Additionally, the country is making efforts to be removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, which identifies countries vulnerable to terrorist financing and money laundering.
