Government suspends Patasse's mining firm

The Central African Republic (CAR) government has withdrawn the mineral exploitation licences for Colombe Mine, a mining company owned by former President Ange-Felix Patasse. Government spokesman Zarambeaud Assingambi said on state-owned Radio Centrafrique that the firm and Rene Koffi, a Togolese businessman reported to be Patasse’s brother-in-law, were no longer authorised to exploit the CAR resources. No reason was given for the decision. Patasse, now in exile in Lome, the capital of Togo, was believed to own most companies dealing in oil, timber, cotton and mining sectors in the CAR. Former army chief of staff Francois Bozize ousted him in a coup on 15 March. Despite its natural wealth, the CAR has not paid salaries for civil servants for more than 32 months. Bozize's administration has promised to clear the salary arrears and pay salaries monthly from the beginning of April. The new CAR administration suspended in early April the exploitation of the country's timber and mineral resources, pending judicial investigations into companies suspected of corruption. On 1 April, the state prosecutor of Bangui court of first instance froze the bank accounts of 26 former ministers pending investigations into their alleged involvement in corrupt activities.