Nigeria, March 12 -- The illicit trade in gold from artisanal mines drives crime and armed conflict in the Cameroon-Central African Republic (CAR) border region. The gold sector is now a major part of the criminal market along the border, enabled by corruption and the weak enforcement of regulations.

A report by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) on Cameroon says the country produced 953 kg of gold in 2023, but only 22 kg were officially exported. EITI says that imports from one country alone - the United Arab Emirates - amounted to 15 tonnes valued at around 539 billion CFA francs ($949 million).

There is clearly a considerable gap between officially recorded production and exports, and the volumes of gold importe...