CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC · MINING
Key Facts
- The claim A local news site said on Monday 2 November that Wagner runs a closed mining zone at Chary.
- Confirmed No UN body, government office or second source has confirmed anything about Chary.
- On record US Treasury and UN documents describe Wagner-linked gold, diamond and timber businesses in the country since 2018.
- Sanctions The US sanctioned Wagner-linked mining firms in June 2023 and May 2024.
- Still open What, if anything, is mined at Chary, and by whom.
A local news site said on Monday 2 November 2026 that Wagner mining in Central African Republic includes a secret zone at Chary. No UN body, government office or second source has confirmed it, so we set out what official records show.
Wagner is a Russian private military group, and US Treasury documents say its personnel have worked in the country since January 2018. For US readers the stakes are sanctions risk for anyone buying the country’s gold or diamonds, and Russian influence in a fragile Central African state.
What the Record Shows on Wagner
On Thursday 26 January 2023 the US Treasury designated Wagner a transnational criminal organisation and described its work in the Central African Republic. It said Wagner personnel first deployed in January 2018, supposedly to train the army.
Treasury said Wagner controls numerous gold and diamond mines in the country and raids others. It also said Wagner blocked Central African officials who tried to inspect its mining operations.
The Ndassima Gold Mine and Midas
On Tuesday 27 June 2023 Treasury sanctioned Midas Ressources, a Central African mining company it called affiliated with Wagner’s financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin. Midas holds the preferential mining rights to the Ndassima gold mine, which experts assess to hold gold worth over US$1 billion.
UN sanctions experts wrote in a report dated 18 May 2023 that they saw a mine-resistant vehicle at Midas’s Ndassima processing site. They said using a vehicle notified for election security at a private concession did not match the notification.
Diamonds, Timber and Mining Chemicals
The same Treasury action named Diamville, a gold and diamond buying company it says Prigozhin controlled. Treasury said Diamville shipped Central African diamonds to buyers in the United Arab Emirates and Europe.
On Friday 8 March 2024 Treasury sanctioned Bois Rouge, a timber firm that got a logging permit in Lobaye prefecture in exchange for Wagner’s services. On Thursday 30 May 2024 it sanctioned Mining Industries, which imported chemicals such as sodium cyanide and nitric acid, and a logistics firm.
What UN Experts Said in 2026
UN sanctions experts reported on Wednesday 10 June 2026 that the army works with Russian instructors while armed groups raid north-east mining sites. They called the command of local forces nicknamed Wagner Noirs unclear, which raises accountability concerns.
The experts recorded an army and Russian instructor operation near Bambouti on Wednesday 4 February 2026 against armed elements allegedly exploiting resources illegally. They also said they were investigating reports of children working at the Cinq Kilo mine near Gordil, in Vakaga prefecture.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Wagner is a Russian private military group that the US Treasury sanctioned as a criminal organisation. The UN experts mostly use the term Russian instructors, and the report does not say whether Wagner has been absorbed into Russia’s Africa Corps.
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, enforces US sanctions and can freeze the assets of named firms. The UN Panel of Experts is a group of independent specialists who report to the Security Council on sanctions on the country.
What It Means for You
US companies and banks cannot deal with the sanctioned firms, and OFAC also blocks entities that are 50% or more owned by them. Anyone buying Central African gold, diamonds or timber should check the supply chain, because a mistake can bring US penalties.
The State Department tells Americans not to travel to the country, and Embassy Bangui has limited capacity to help citizens. Our earlier reports cover a disputed claim about Boromata and a report on Wagner near the Chad border.
What Is Not Known
What is mined at Chary, who runs it and whether it exists as described are all unknown, because the claim rests on one local source. No official comment has been found, and no document read for this article mentions the site.
The sources also do not give the number of Russian personnel in the country or say whether Wagner now serves under the Africa Corps. For the wider picture see our guide on the Central African Republic in 2026.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a secret Wagner mine at Chary?
A local news site said so on 2 November 2026, but no UN body, government office or second source has confirmed it. It remains an unproven claim.
Is Wagner involved in mining in the Central African Republic?
The US Treasury says Wagner controls numerous gold and diamond mines there and sanctioned linked firms in 2023 and 2024. The company-level details are in the sanctions notices.
What is the Ndassima mine?
Ndassima is a gold mine whose preferential mining rights are held by Midas Ressources, which the US sanctioned in June 2023. Experts assess it holds gold worth over US$1 billion.
Is it safe to travel to the Central African Republic?
No, the US State Department says Americans should not travel there. Armed groups control large areas and violent crime is common.
Sources: US Treasury, Wagner Group designated a transnational criminal organization, 26 January 2023; US Treasury, sanctions on illicit gold companies funding Wagner, 27 June 2023; US Treasury, sanctions on Bois Rouge and Broker Expert, 8 March 2024; US Treasury, sanctions on two Wagner-linked companies in the Central African Republic, 30 May 2024; UN Security Council, Panel of Experts final report S/2023/360, 18 May 2023; UN Security Council, Panel of Experts final report S/2026/481, 10 June 2026; US State Department, Central African Republic travel advisory.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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