Central African Republic rebels storm mine; 9 Chinese killed

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BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Suspected rebels 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.

The attack 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 travel to China in a bid to reassure investors.

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The attack on the Chimbolo gold mine began around 5 am when the gunmen overpowered the site’s guards and opened fire, said Abel Matipata, mayor of the nearby town of Bambari. The mining site’s launch had taken place just days earlier, he added.

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Local authorities said they were pursuing the assassins, but declined further comment. Residents said that the violence was the latest incident undermining confidence in security forces.

“The government is having difficulty proving its ability to protect Central Africans and foreigners living in the country,” said Ange Morel Gbatangue, a resident of Bambari.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion fell on the Coalition of Patriots for Change, or CPC, which is active in the area and regularly launches attacks on the country’s armed forces. The alliance of rebel groups is aligned with former President Francois Bozize .

Anselme Bangue, who supports the current president’s administration, said the attack on Chinese businessmen was an act of “indescribable cowardice.”

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“The CPC has not only slowed down the country’s economic momentum, but is now attacking the foundation of development. This is unacceptable,” Bangue said.

Central African Republic remains one of the poorest countries in the world despite its vast mineral wealth of gold and diamonds among others. A myriad of rebel groups have operated with impunity across the embattled country over the past decade, thwarting mining explorations by foreign.

Many of those now operating in the country are Chinese-run and have faced security challenges. In 2020, two Chinese nationals died when local residents led an uprising against a Chinese-operated mine in Sosso Nakombo. And in 2018, three Chinese citizens were killed by angry community members after a local leader died in a boating accident while accompanying Chinese miners to a site.

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Krista Larson contributed to this story from Dakar, Senegal.