Local dynamics of security in Africa: The Central African Republic and private security

Unprecedented challenges are faced by the Central African Republic (CAR), a country with a considerable potential for resource conflicts which in turn provides local leaders with opportunites for privatising security in exchange for natural resource concessions (Reno 1999). The CAR's recent history contains a number of cases of kdnappings and killings; roads have become impassable because of attacks by bandits, the so-called zaraguinas; and arms basaars, like the one in the capital at Kilomètre 5, provide the necessary tools for any kind of organised violence.