31 December 2012, Central African Republic (CAR) government forces are abandoning their capitol city, as rebel forces move in.  The most recent reports say the coalition of three rebel groups (known as Seleka) are one town away from victory.

U.S. President Barack Obama has informed Congress that he is sending 50 additional troops to help evacuate U.S. citizens.

China has evacuated about 300 citizens from CAR.  More are expected to leave in the next few days.

France has increased its troop presence to 400.  Officials say it’s only to help evacuate French citizens.

Reports say that the government of CAR has repeatedly asked France and the U.S. for help fighting the rebels, but got no response.

CAR has significant resources, like oil.  As recently as October 2012, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that there is so much oil in central Africa that the expected revenues have the “….Power to Transform Countries of Central Africa”.

The IMF even published a policy book on it, called Oil Wealth in Central Africa: Policies for Inclusive Growth.  Six countries are talked about: Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo.

One IMF economist said that most of the governments are reluctant to adopt IMF policies regarding economic progress, and implies that those countries need some prodding: “…of all the countries that are in this region, none of them are fully compliant with EITI, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative….” , “To some extent, there is a reluctance to move, because at the end of the day these are political choices…….We think that with greater awareness, and also particularly of the cost of what is not being achieved, these circumstances will change.”-Sharmini Coorey, IMF Institute for Capacity Development