An attack on a Chinese mining convoy transporting gold in northeast Congo resulted in the death of four people, including two Chinese nationals, according to authorities. Sammy Badibanga Kalonji, the administrator of the Fizi territory where the attack occurred, stated that a Congolese soldier, a driver, and two Chinese nationals were killed in an armed robbery near the Kimbo river. Alongside this, three individuals were seriously injured, including a Congolese soldier and a worker, and they were undergoing treatment in a local hospital. The attackers reportedly stole a large quantity of gold from the convoy, which belonged to a Chinese mining company operating in the volatile South Kivu province. However, no further details regarding the incident were provided.
South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to numerous Chinese mining companies extracting gold and various minerals. However, the region has been plagued by violence from armed groups for nearly three decades, leading to frequent attacks on quarries and mining cooperatives. Over 120 armed groups compete for land and resources in eastern Congo, exacerbating the security challenges faced by these mining operations. In a similar attack in 2022, a Congolese employee of another Chinese mining company in South Kivu lost his life to armed robbers.
In 2021, the Congolese government suspended the operations of six Chinese mining companies in South Kivu due to their illegal activities. Additionally, the government is working towards negotiating better terms on a $6.2 billion mining contract with China. Officials argue that the current agreement, signed in 2008, has not been profitable enough for the Central African nation.