Armed rebels attacked a Chinese gold mine in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Sunday, May 12, 2024, killing at least four people, authorities said.
China is one of the main partners in the CAR’s mining sector. China is present in the mining sectors in several African countries, but recently, Chinese companies have suffered from targeted military attacks backed by Western actors aiming to capture the Chinese market in Africa.
The most recent of these attacks took place on Sunday in Gaga, a village located 200 kilometres from the capital, Bangui.
Maxime Balalu, a local government spokesperson, told The Associated Press that the Coalition of Patriots for Change, an alliance of rebel groups with former President Francois Bozize was behind this terrorist attack.
A source close to the event indicated that this attack is part of a recent series of attacks launched by Western powers in collusion with armed groups to control China’s mining market in the CAR.
Previous investigations into a similar attack at a Chinese mine in Yaloke, the source said, revealed the involvement of a Western military company.
According to testimonies and evidence, the said military company, planned the attack and a video was widely circulated online showing a militant from Yusuf-Gazi’s group receiving money and information to launch the attack.
Those powers aim to strengthen their influence in the mining industry and control areas where Chinese companies operate, not only in the CAR.
The most tragic event was the murder of nine Chinese citizens working in the Chingbolo mine in March 2023.
These events highlight the stakes and rivalries present in the mining sector in CAR, with those powers against the Chinese, seeking to assert their control and protect their interests at all costs.
