China has strongly condemned an armed attack on a mining site in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that left several Chinese nationals dead or missing.
According to Beijing’s foreign ministry, a private Chinese company in the DRC was attacked by armed forces, resulting in the death and disappearance of several Chinese citizens.
“We demand that the DRC side hunts down the killers as quickly as possible and strictly punishes them in accordance with the law,” said ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. Local sources reported that a militia attack in gold-rich Ituri province killed at least four Chinese nationals, with some sources putting the death toll at six Chinese nationals, along with their bodyguards, two Congolese soldiers, and two civilians.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by the Codeco militia group, which claims to defend the interests of the Lendu tribe against the rival Hema tribe. Conflicts over gold between Congolese residents and Chinese miners are common in the DRC, with attacks on mining sites and convoys frequently reported. China has urged the DRC to take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.
