Lust for Gold Fuels Conflict in Central African Republic

Almost everyone in the small town of Gaga in the Central African Republic is a clandestine gold miner， regardless of age or sex， but this risky livelihood may get them killed. Swathes of the deeply poor， landlocked nation are roamed and sometimes controlled by armed groups who value gold more than they do human life and threaten artisanal mining communities， particularly if there are ethnic or religious differences. \"We quit school to dig for gold... because it brings in a lot of money，\" 12-year-old Dieu Beni Gueret told AFP， looking up from a sandy pit by the town 200 kilometers （125 miles） northwest of the capital Bangui. Mostly Christian forces known as \"anti-balaka\"， who emerged as vigilante groups to seek vengeance for brutal atrocities against civilians by rogue Seleka forces， today control Gaga and the mine. The self-styled \"Colonel Cyriaque\"， who leads the local anti-balaka fighters， makes frequent trips between the village and the mine， said he is there \"to watch over the laborers\". The village lies in one of the regions hardest hit by conflict and those with weapons crave gold to fund their activities and to enrich their leadership.