The CAR embargo began in 2013 to prevent conflict-funding through "blood diamonds." CAR now seeks its removal, citing improved security and compliance.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has approached the Kimberley Process (KP), the global regulatory body for diamond trading, to request the lifting of all restrictions against it, aiming to end an export embargo that has been in place for over a decade. The KP, which is holding its plenary assembly in Dubai under the United Arab Emirates' presidency, began discussions on Tuesday.

The CAR government is pushing for a complete removal of the embargo imposed after a political and military crisis sparked civil war in 2013, following decades of violence, instability, and coups. Speaking at the assembly’s opening session, Mines and Geology Minister Rufin Benam Beltoungou emphasized his government's ongoing efforts to restore peace and meet the necessary criteria for lifting the restrictions. According to a statement posted on Facebook by his ministry, Beltoungou highlighted these actions to show CAR's commitment to meeting international standards.

The minister had previously stated, following a KP expert team's visit in September, that the "conditions (for lifting the embargo) are now met," noting that "the security problem no longer arises." Additionally, Beltoungou pointed out that CAR has achieved "the minimum traceability requirement," a necessary step to ensure the ethical sourcing of diamonds.

The KP expert team, for the first time since 2015, was able to conduct an on-ground assessment of CAR’s diamond mining practices. Despite a reduction in the civil conflict's intensity since 2018, CAR still faces sporadic violence and widespread poverty. The expert team visited several mining sites to check compliance with international standards, which are intended to prevent the export of "blood diamonds" from conflict zones.

Diamonds, along with gold, are among CAR’s most valuable natural resources. Gem-quality diamond deposits are critical to the country’s economy, but they have been heavily affected by the embargo. In addition, mining and exploration permits have been granted to various foreign entities, including groups from China, the United States, Rwanda, and Russia. Some Russian groups have ties to the Wagner Group, a private military organization that has been supporting CAR’s current government.

The sanctions have had a profound impact on CAR's economy. In 2011, two years before a coup that led to prolonged civil unrest, CAR earned around 29.7 billion CFA francs (approximately $50 million) from the export of 323,575.30 carats of diamonds. However, by last year, that figure had fallen sharply to just 324.3 million CFA francs, illustrating the severe toll the embargo has taken.

Luc Florentin Simplice Brosseni Yali, the director general of the KP’s permanent secretariat in Bangui, argued that the sanctions "should have been lifted as soon as constitutional order was restored in March 2016."

During the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York, CAR President Faustin Archange Touadera also called for the embargo's removal, asserting that the country is now "relatively stable." However, despite efforts to extend government authority throughout CAR, the security situation remains challenging. The latest report from the United Nations peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, noted ongoing security issues, citing frequent armed clashes over control of mining sites and major transportation routes.

Meanwhile, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team that visited Bangui in September acknowledged improvements in security. Nevertheless, the IMF team also noted "the still unfavourable" business climate, regulatory uncertainties, and "persistent insecurity in certain mining areas."

The KP meeting in Dubai, running until Friday, is the second full gathering of 2024 exclusively for KP participants and observers. This assembly presents a significant opportunity for CAR to make its case for the embargo's complete removal, as it works to reestablish its diamond trade on the international stage.