The United Arab Emirates has become the main destination for conflict minerals from the Central African Republic, placing Dubai at the center of a lucrative trade in gold and diamonds tied to armed groups and foreign smuggling networks, according to a new investigation.
Almost all of CAR’s officially declared gold exports since 2023 have been destined for the UAE, the investigation found — a pattern which echoes UN findings in Sudan, where Dubai-based networks have been linked to gold flows financing the Rapid Support Forces. The latest report, from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, also traced how Russia and Rwanda have established economic and security footholds in CAR alongside UAE trading networks. At the center is Russia’s Africa Corps, formerly Wagner Group — a mercenary network that has propped up President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s government since 2018. The report identifies the group as a major beneficiary of illicit gold, worth an estimated $180 million per year.