Gunmen kill 9 Chinese at mine in Central African Republic
- The nine victims were Chinese workers at a gold mine site run by the Gold Coast Group, local mayor says
- Suspicion fell on a rebel coalition, who claimed without evidence that Russian mercenaries had planned the attack
Gunmen stormed a Chinese-operated gold mining site that had recently been launched in Central African Republic, killing nine Chinese nationals and wounding two others Sunday, authorities said.
However, the rebel coalition initially blamed by some for the attack put out a statement later in the day. Without providing evidence, it accused Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group of being behind the violence.
The attack early Sunday came just days after gunmen kidnapped three Chinese nationals in the country’s west near the border with Cameroon, prompting President Faustin Archange Touadera to plan a trip to China in a bid to reassure investors.
The assault on the Chimbolo gold mine, run by the Gold Coast Group, began around 5am when the gunmen overpowered the site’s guards and opened fire, said Abel Matipata, mayor of the nearby town of Bambari, located 25km (16 miles) away. The mining site’s launch had taken place just days earlier, he added.
The Chinese embassy gave no immediate reaction. The victim’s bodies were transferred to a hospital in Bangui, where Chinese ambassador Li Qinfeng and CAR Foreign Minister Sylvie Baipo Temon attended, an Agence France-Presse journalist noted.
Local authorities said they were pursuing the assailants, but declined further comment. Residents said that the violence was the latest incident undermining confidence in security forces.