Four killed, gold stolen in attack on Chinese mining convoy in Congo
- A Congolese soldier, a driver and two Chinese nationals died in the armed robbery, which left three others seriously injured
- The assailants made off with a ‘large quantity’ of the precious metal, which belonged to a Chinese firm operating in the restive South Kivu province
An attack on a Chinese mining convoy transporting gold in northeast Congo killed four people, including two Chinese nationals, authorities said.
Sammy Badibanga Kalonji, administrator of the Fizi territory where the attack took place, said on Friday a Congolese soldier, a driver and two Chinese nationals were killed in the armed robbery near the Kimbo river.
Three people were seriously wounded in the attack, including a Congolese soldier and a worker, Kalonji said. The wounded were receiving treatment in a local hospital.
Kalonji said the assailants stole a “large quantity” of gold from the convoy, which belonged to a Chinese mining company operating in the restive South Kivu province. He had no additional details.
Many Chinese companies mine gold and other minerals in South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo that have been plagued by violence from armed groups for nearly three decades.