The Zamboye disaster is horrific, but the government is confronting a mining sector that has long operated largely beyond state control. CAR has sought foreign investment to formalize mining, improve oversight and strengthen safety. Repeated deadly collapses underscore the urgency of that effort rather than proving investment is the problem. Greater government control could ultimately protect workers better than dangerous, unregulated pits.
The Zamboye disaster isn't isolated — it's part of a brutal, repeating cycle across the region, with collapses killing miners in March, May and June before this tragedy struck. The CAR government is seeking foreign mining investment while thousands of unprotected workers die in hand-dug pits outside government control. Prioritizing economic development without fixing the deadly conditions in artisanal mining is a dangerous contradiction.
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