According to a new report released by anti-corruption NGO Global Witness, European timber companies are funding the war in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to the BBC.
RELATED: UNICEF: CAR ARMED GROUPS AGREE TO RELEASE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN
Keep Up With Face2Face Africa On Facebook!
Ever since the mostly Muslim rebel group Seleka Rebel Alliance toppled the government of then-CAR President Fracois Bozize in 2013, the nation hasn’t seen any peace.
CAR is a predominately Christian nation, and the Muslim takeover prompted Christians to form vigilante Anti-Balaka groups in retaliation.
The sectarian fighting between Christian and Muslims has caused more than 5,000 deaths since December 2013, according to the Associated Press, and displaced nearly 400,000, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
And while some have determined that Chinese, Iranian, Sudanese, and Cameroonian weapons are being smuggled in to the landlocked country — often unbeknowst to their manufacturers — a recent report by Global Witness alleges that French and German timber traders are fueling the conflict with their money.
Traders in France and Germany paid more than $4m (£2.5m) to rebel groups accused of war crimes, the report says.
Global Witness also accuses the European Union of being accomplices to the crime since they have failed to stop the illegal timber from being imported in to Europe.
The European funding of African conflicts is not new.
In 1995, for example, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) charged France with aiding the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
As Face2Face Africa previously reported:
The HRW discovered that France had begun arming Hutu militants living abroad and training them on military tactics in order to bring more fight to the Tutsi and RPF. China and the Seychelles were also implicated in the report, and the HRW called for an international arms embargo against Rwanda among other demands.
At press time, it is still unknown what repercussions — if any — France, Germany, and the European Union will face in light of the current allegations.
SEE ALSO: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CHARGES FRANCE WITH AIDING RWANDAN GENOCIDE ON THIS DAY IN 1995
Yves-Ann Comeau, 18, is gaining attention for her recent accomplishment of being accepted into 17…
Lawyers say they are considering a boycott of a court following an incident where up…
Larry Demeritte is the first Caribbean trainer to participate in the Kentucky Derby and the…
She is celebrated globally for her groundbreaking work across the music and movie industry. But,…
The family of an aspiring medical doctor is seeking justice after he was left brain-dead…
Once more, popular 97-year-old activist Opal Lee has received honor; this time, the President of…
A Florida woman described as a career shoplifter was handed a 30-year prison sentence after…
The city of Cleveland, Ohio, has reached a $4.8 million settlement with the family of…
Anthony Madu, the 14-year-old Nigerian dancer from Lagos who gained admission to a prestigious ballet…
Actor-host Wayne Brady recently opened up about his early financial struggles in his now thriving…
Mia Arianna, also known as @mia.ariannaa on TikTok, helped her son become an honorary team…
Alvin Gauthier, a Grand Prairie USPS postman, recently went above and beyond to brighten a…
Maj. Gen. Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed is the first female commander of the air force and…
Benjamin E. Mays High School brought together its 272 senior class members for a meeting…
Afrika Owes' emotional response to learning that she had passed the bar exam on her…
View Comments
Your title is completely misdealing: his conflict is funded by French and German COMPANIES, not by France and GermanyWhy do you alter the facts, as can bee seen when reading the article?