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.

The Zamboye disaster exposes a familiar imbalance in whose lives command global attention. Africa's mineral wealth feeds global markets, from jewelry and investment to technology and industry, while poorly protected local workers bear the risk. With more than 100 miners feared dead, the tragedy is finally attracting wider international attention. Apparently, the human costs of global resource chains need to reach a certain scale before the world takes notice.