EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Since 2013 the Central African Republic (CAR), a fragile and unstable country of 4.6 million inhabitants, has been faced with the most serious crisis in its history. In March of that year, a coalition of armed rebel groups, named the Seleka, came to power by deposing President François Bozizé. Under the leadership of Michel Djotodia, the Seleka held the reins of power until January 2014, committing grave human rights violations and killing thousands of people, while brazenly profiting from the country’s many natural resources.
Today, even though the Seleka is no longer in power, CAR is mired in chaos. Armed groups roam the landlocked country, corruption appears rampant, and the transitional authorities lack the political will and capacity to ensure CAR’s natural resources are managed sustainably, according to the law, and on the basis of respect for the rights of the country’s impoverished population.
It remains to be seen whether a recently signed peace deal with some of the country’s armed groups will change the all-too-present security threats on the ground. Given the repeated cycle of coups, violence and destruction that have beset CAR since the country’s independence in 1960, cutting the lifelines of armed groups - those willing to collaborate with them for personal profit - is an imperative.