Diamonds in Bangui and the Central African Republic (CAR)

Assignment: 

1. How is the “informal” conveyed within in your city?  Illustrate key informal/formal differences in spatial use through evidence provided in local newspaper, blog, or website insights. Map some aspect of this “informal”/”formal” dynamic with AfricaMap and/or Google Earth. Provide screen shots.

In attempting to understand the informal sector in Bangui and the CAR, I can across the complexities of the current diamond industry. According to Gridneff, U.S. Geological Survey cites CAR as ‘the world’s 12th-biggest producer of diamonds… in 2012.”  There are as many as 100,000 subsistence miners and 600,000 people, about 13 percent of the country’s population, depend at least partly on mining for their income, according to IPIS (International Peace Information Service). About 30 percent of the country’s diamonds and 95 percent of gold leaves the country secretly, according to IPIS (Bloomberg).

 Diamonds can be found across the country and have been exploited since colonial times. In 1960, after independence, the government liberalized the mining industry and opened the mines to everyone (Bloomberg). Mining companies have repeatedly tried to extract diamonds on an industrial scale and largely failed because the deposits are alluvial, spread thinly across two large river systems (International Crisis Group).That has led to a dominant informality in the mines for several reasons. The international crisis group reports high government taxes on the diamond transactions, government closure of diamond exporting companies as well as political conflict for the rise of informality in the diamond sector.

Voice of America and Bloomberg report that diamonds and diamond territory has played a role in the recent conflict in CAR were armed groups have asserted their authority over mining zones and manage and control those zones while extorting the informal ‘artisanal’ miners. ‘For Seleka militias, control of diamond production was a key grievance against [recently ousted President] Bozize, who in 2008 sought to create a monopoly over the domestic market for his relatives and members of his ethnic group, according to the International Crisis Group, a Belgian-based think-tank. In May 2013, as the Seleka took control of Bangui, Kimberley Process regulators banned CAR diamonds from world markets, an attempt to keep the gems from fueling further violence.’ (Voice of America)

Sources;

"Dangerous Little Stones: Diamonds in the Central African Republic." - International Crisis Group. N.p., 10 June 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

Dietrich, Christian. "Diamonds in the Central African Republic: Trading, Valuing and Laundering." ReliefWeb. N.p., 13 Jan. 2003. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

Gridneff, Ilya. "Blood Gold Flows Illegally From Central African Republic."Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2015. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.

KOURA, BAGASSI, and MIKE ECKEL. "In Central African Republic, Diamonds Fuel A Cycle of Violence and Poverty." Voice of America. N.p., 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

Transportation in Bangui

Assignment:

1. How do factors of migration, movement, and transportation impact your city?
2. Using Google Earth mark the nearest airport, rail, and bus/taxi hub, market (commercial center) and political center of your city. What is the latitude and longitude of these three sites? Measure the distance from the airport, rail and bus/taxi hubs to the commercial center using Google Earth. Provide a screen shot of Google Earth with each of these points marked.

Transportation in Bangui is limited to river, roads, and air. There are no railways in the Central African Republic. Nations Encyclopedia cites river transportation as the most important for movement of freight. Goods also travel by truck via RN 1 connecting to Douala port in Cameroon.

Map of major and minor roads and public amenities. Data from Mapzen.com

In 2007, the World Bank, European Union, the African Development Bank and the French Development Agency got together to fund transport improvements that would better connect the Douala Port in Cameroon to Bangui and N’Djamena, Chad. The $680 million project was set out to pave and improve highways and networks. This initiative was in response to deficiencies in infrastructure, especially during rainy seasons and is meant to increase trade among the CEMAC (Economic Community of Central African States) which includes Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,São Tomé and Principe and Rwanda.

Truck drivers delivering goods between these countries complain of ‘roadblocks, heavy traffic, poorly managed border crossings and even areas such as the one-lane bridge between Chad and Cameroon where the processing of livestock several times per week takes precedence over the passing through of traffic.’

In Bangui specifically, recent political instability has led to security concerns on roads and intersections. In July 2015, drivers went on strike in Garoua-Boulai, the last Cameroon town before the journey into the CAR begins because ‘the 6000 km-odd journey through CAR territory have become a veritable death trap which only the stone-hearted could undertake.” Robbers and thieves along the way did not only present a financial threat but a fatal one as well for travelers.

A Reuters report published in 2014 by itnssource.com also adds insight into the transportation problem in Bangui outlining the complex causes and dynamics surrounding the transportation problem with drivers blaming the government for poor roads and the government blaming private firms for withholding vehicles.

 “CAR: Public transport infrastructure in Bangui crippled by CAR conflict.” Itnsource.com. 24 June 2014.Web. 27 March 2016.

 “Central African Republic – Transportation.” NationsEncyclopedia.com. n.d. Web. 27 March 2016.
 "Central Africa Transport and Transit Facilitation Project Aims to Open Continent's Most Challenging Corridors." World Bank. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

“Douala-Bangui Corridor Reopens for Transportation of Goods.” International Marine & General Services. 16 September 2015. Web 27 March 2016.

“Transport system in Bangui City in Central African Republic.” FortuneofAfrica.com. 9 April 2014. Web. 27 March 2016.

Bangui during WWII

Assignment:

1. Select one article from an early newspaper addressing your city and discuss its main themes.  Source: Historical Newspaper Project.

Airlines Are Needed in Africa; Free French Establishing Them: Equatorial Colony Needs Better Facilities for Transportation-American Mission Encourages Pioneer Settlers.

This is the title of an article written by A.C Sedgwick for The New York Times on October 20, 1941. Sedgwick, who died in 1994, was mostly assigned to cover British military operations during World War II.

In this article Sedgwick describe the increase of French settlers to Bangui during this period as a result of the fall of France during World War II. This article provides an interesting look into Bangui’s role as a member of ‘Free France’ and a refuge during the war. “‘Free France’ was the government-in-exile led by Charles de Gaulle during the Second World War and its military forces that continued to fight against the Axis powers as one of the Allies after the fall of France. It was set up in London in June 1940 and also organized and supported the Resistance in occupied France.”
Sedgwick definitely paints a picture of Bangui as a prime alternative to life in Paris during the German occupation and goes as far as to note that “Many French people were becoming so fond of frontier life, he said, that they would not exchange it for life in France, which has become embittered and perhaps ruined for years to come through destructive German occupation” while quoting a French soldier in Bangui.

The article goes on to explain infrastructure and transportation issues within the areas of Free France and explains the benefits of air travel over roads ad waterways.

AC SEDGWICK Wireless to THE NEW,YORK TIMES. 1941. "Airlines are Needed in Africa; Free Erench Establishing them." New York Times (1923-Current File), Oct 20, 5.
http://search.proquest.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/105580846?accountid=11311

Stout, David. "A. C. Sedgwick, 94, Reporter For Times Who Covered War."The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Jan. 1996. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Free French." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

Planning in Bangui

Assignment:

1. Upload and rectify an early plan of your city. Analyze core differences between this early plan and the current city plan. Mark these differences and provide related screen shots. What, if anything do these changes convey about difference and identity in your city. 

2. Discuss briefly the subject(s) you would like to address in your final paper on your city.

This map is from the article “Les kodro de Bangui: un escape urbain ‘oublié’” (The kodros of Bangui: a forgotten urban space) by Madame Marie-France Adrien-Rongier. The map was produced by CAR architect E. Lemotomo in 1977. Lemotomo uses master plans from 1946, 1967 and 1971 to distinguish planned sections of the city from the somewhat informal or autonomously constructed parts of the city. The article by Adrien-Rongier details the growth of Bangui and the various dichotomies present in the juxtaposition of the kodros to the city center. In the city center homes were preplanned and organized for atomized families. They are colonial fabrication, built with imported materials and continue to be repurposed for administrative and social uses. In the kodros materials are local and the houses are organized by the family to fit the purposes of the local ethnic group.

Below the map is spread across the existing amenities in Bangui. Sites previously labeled as formal, administrative and planned still hold a majority of Bangui's resources such as government buildings, schools and points of interests. Interestingly the religious sites are the one amenity that are spread throughout the city equally.

In my final paper I would like to explore urban planning as it relates to displacement as a result of natural disasters and conflict. Flooding and politic and political conflicts have caused a significant amount of movement and destruction in and around Bangui. In the final paper I will compile comparative case studies and frameworks for post-disaster social, economic and infrastructure reconstruction. 

Bangui on the Web

Assignment:

1. How is your city depicted on the web? Provide the URLs of 5 sites that offer different views of your city’s popular life. 

2. Discuss one building of popular or political importance in your city. Describe its setting. Provide a photograph of this building (with label).

3. Create a polygon and point to identify the site of this structure and the area in which it is located. Provide a screenshot indicating the location of your building in Google Earth. 

The first page of results after entering a web search for ‘Bangui’ is dominated by travel sites and hotel recommendations. The second page includes more links to newspapers and NGO articles about political and social events in Bangui. Below I have included some online sites that offer different views of Bangui’s popular life.

1.    JournaldeBangui.com

a.       I came across Journal De Bangui while looking for local newspapers in Bangui. While I am not sure how popular this publication is in Bangui, the content seems comprehensive. The website states that it is edited by Sarl Dano Communications and the contact information leads to an address in France. The website comprises of three main pages for news about Bangui, Africa and World News. Topics cover everything from politics to popular culture and health. On the Bangui page, the last article was published on February 27, 2016.

2.       Centrafrique Presse Info (http://www.centrafrique-presse.info/site/)

a.       Centrafrique Presse Info boasts an average 700 visits per day. It’s unclear where the newspaper originates but articles cover various topic including politics, human right, the economy and culture. The last article was published March 5, 2016 and had 51 views on March 6.

3.       La Nouvelle Centrafrique (http://lanouvellecentrafrique.info/)

a.       La Nouvelle Centrafrique writes that it is “leader of Central African news sites. With a daily average of 5,000 unique readers. The sites includes a large staff and numerous partnerships.

4.       Twitter

a.       On twitter “#Bangui” produces several results including photos, breaking news and conventions and political meetings. The Central African Republic has recently come out of an election period so several of the posts are about the new president and the election period. The last post was 11 hours ago.

5.       Visiter L’Afrique

a.       This article published on Visiter L’Afrique provides an itinerary list to-go location for a visit to Bangui. The article includes descriptions of the Boali waterfalls, the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park and several other key locations in Bangui.

Building of Importance

The complete name for Bangui’s Cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui. The cathedral was built in 1930 and sits at the center of Bangui. The cathedral was visited by Pope Francis in November of 2015.

 

            The neighborhood of KM-5 and more specifically the market seems like a bustling area for broad demographics of the city. The market remains active for long periods and is listed as a go-to destination for Bangui.

Photo credits:

Cathedral: http://en.visiterlafrique.com/destinations/central-africa/10-things-to-do-in-central-african-republic/

Market: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3091096/Bangui-market-helps-mend-ties-C-Africa-conflict.html

The Urbanization of Bangui

Assignment:

1. Discuss the key moments in the urbanization processes in your city. How do they relate to ideas raised in Coquery-Vidrovitch
2. Provide a short bibliography (minimum 10 entries) of key academic or primary sources on your city.

When writing about the urbanization process in Africa Coquery-Vidrovitch writes, “Bantu central Africa probably was the least urbanized area on the continent,” but she does make claims that some capital cities existed in Bantu central Africa from the middle of the 13^th century. She goes on to describe a similar urbanization process to the fringe of the Western Sahara. Cattle herders who descended on indigenous cultivators organized capital cities as centers of the dominating power. It is unclear if this pertained to the area around Bangui (Coquery-Vidrovitch).

According to Ambe J. Njoh in “The experience and legacy of French colonial urban planning in sub-Saharan Africa,” Coquery-Vitrovitch cites Bangui as well as many other cities as examples of the Ebernezer Howar garden cities phenomena. Njoh states that these cities were designed such that the European quarters were built with large streets lined with trees and large residential units’ while the indigenous population were separated from these residential areas by a large green area. Although, I have not identified the large green area that separates the elite section of Bangui from the kodros (or suburban indigenous areas), the separation is apparent as well as the difference in urban design (Njoh).

References:

AMBE J. NJOH (2004) The experience and legacy of French colonial urban planning in sub‐Saharan Africa, Planning Perspectives, 19:4, 435-454, DOI: 10.1080/0266543042000268813

Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch, “The Process of Urbanization in Africa (From the Origins to the Beginning of Indepence.” African Studies Review

Key academic or primary sources on Bangui

Amaye, Maurice. L'identité Des Populations Précoloniales De Bangui : Mythes Et Réalités : Précisions Nouvelles D'après Les Sources Missionnaires. Bangui: M. Amaye, 1991. Print

Bangui Zoom : Le ... Guide Des Activités Socio-économiques. Print.

Boulvert, Yves. Bangui, 1889-1989 : Points De Vue Et Témoignages. Paris: Ministère De La Coopération Et Du Développement, 1993. Print.

"Central African Republic - History." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Central-African-Republic-HISTORY.html

Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 06 May 2016. http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/conflict/violence-in-the-central-african-republic

Hilgert F, Hoex L, Spittaels S & Weyns Y 2014, Mapping Conflict Motives: The Central African Republic, International Peace Information Service (IPIS), Antwerp.

Kalck, Pierre. Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic. 3rd ed. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2005. Print. Historical Dictionaries of Africa ; No. 93.

Lachaud, J.P. "Les Activités Informelles Et L'emploi à Bangui (République Centrafricaine): Analyse Et Stratégie De Développement." Canadian Journal of African Studies/La Revue Canadienne Des études Africaines 18.2 (1984): 291-317. Print.

Villien, François. Bangui, Capitale D'un Pays Enclavé D'Afrique Centrale : étude Historique Et Géographique. Talence: Centre De Recherches Sur Les Espaces Tropicaux, Institut De Géographie, Université De Bordeaux III, 1990. Print. Pays Enclavés ; No 4.


Zarhy, M., Israel. Miśrad Ha-ḥuts. Maḥlaḳah Le-shituf Ben-leʾumi, and Institut De Planification Et De Developpement. Les Centres Urbains Et Regionaux De La Republique Centrafricaine. Jerusalem, Israel: Ministère Des Affaires Étrangères, Département De La Coopération Internationale, 1963. Print. Israel. Ministère Des Affaires Étrangères. Départment De La Coopération Internationale. Rapport No. 19.

A Brief History of Bangui

Assignment:

1. Write a short history of your city. Include screen shots of your main points highlighted with polygons, points, and lines. When was it founded, by whom, and in what circumstances? What does the name of your city mean? What is the broader significance of this history and name? What questions does this name raise? What if any earlier names were there? Formal presentation in class of your findings (5 min.)

Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, was first established by the French explorer Michael Dolisie (Braimah) in 1889 as a military post at the union of the Ubangi and Mpoko rivers (Young). The post was moved upstream two years later to the present site of Bangui at the base of several rapids on the Ubangi. There the post became the base for French infiltration north toward the country of Chad and east toward the Nile River (Braimah).

Bangui is named after the Ubangi River which is the word for ‘rapids’ in the Bobangi language (Wikipedia).

In 1906, the post became the administrative center of the Ubangi-Chari territory (present day Central African Republic) of French Equatorial Africa (see image).

French Equatorial Africa (Sandafayre.com)

Growth of the city happened northwestward away from the hill to the east and the river of the south. The country continued to expand as an administrative and trading hub all through the Second World War (Young).

The city has played a large part in the history of the Central African Republic.

Bangui has a soap-making factory, breweries and other light industry but is mostly a commercial and trading center.

Locally made beer in Bangui
 (https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5517/10523098494_c85cc10c66_b.jpg)

As of 2012 Bangui’s population was about 700,000 people (Wikipedia). Expatriates and the elite live in the center of the city while the majority live in the sprawling suburbs, or ‘kodros’ to the north and west (Young).

Kilometre Cinq houses a large marketplace, bar, and dance halls as well as the city’s largest mosque.

The city’s most distinctive landmarks were built during the leadership of president, than self-declared Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa. They include the royal palace and triumphal arch honoring his reign.

(http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//thumb/3/3a/Bangui.jpg/400px-Bangui.jpg)

References:

Ayodale Braimah. "Bangui, Central African Republic (1889- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed." Bangui, Central African Republic (1889- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

"Why the Name Bangui (Capital of Centrafrique)?" African Heritage. N.p., 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Young, Eric. "Bangui, Central African Republic." Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, Second Edition. Ed. Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates Jr.. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Oxford African American Studies Center. Sun Feb 28 12:09:00 EST 2016. http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0002/e0354