What’s new: Five Chinese nationals have been kidnapped after a group of “unknown” gunmen attacked a mining company in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa on Sunday, according to the Chinese embassy in the country.
The incident took place (link in Chinese) early that morning in South Kivu province, according to a Sunday statement issued by the embassy. Media reports said it occurred near the village of Mukera.
The embassy said the security situation in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu is “extremely complicated and severe,” and “malignant cases” such as armed robbery and kidnapping that involve Chinese citizens have occurred many times, according to the statement.
The embassy has warned Chinese citizens not to travel to provinces deemed at high risk and urged those who are already there to leave as soon as possible, the statement said.
The background: On Sunday, China’s national broadcaster CGTN reported that the gunmen also killed a police officer and wounded another, citing Colonel David Epanga, head of the armed forces in Fizi in South Kivu.
Since the beginning of the year, attacks by local militants targeting military positions and civilians have been frequently reported in the Central African country, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)
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