Rebels kill nine Chinese miners
In the Central African Republic nine Chinese miners were killed and two others injured. A local journalist confirmed this to the FAZ. Accordingly, a previously unknown rebel group visited the gold mine near the town of Bambari on Sunday morning and attacked the workers. The mine is said to be operated by a Chinese company. The men probably only started work on the construction site on March 14.
The bodies and the two injured were taken to the Bambari Regional Hospital. They are later to be taken to the capital, Bangui. Government troops are said to be on their way to the mine, which is said to be 25 kilometers from Bambari.
“Wagner” on the part of the government
The region is dangerous for civilians and foreigners. The last remaining French soldiers were only withdrawn from the country in December. In return, the Russian mercenary group “Wagner” of the businessman Yevgeny Prigoshin is to gain influence – and also guard mines. It is unclear whether the mine, which was now the target of an attack, was sponsored by “Wagner”.
Since 2018, around a thousand “Wagner” mercenaries have been fighting alongside the government in Bangui against various rebel groups – the north of the country in particular is considered to be rich in natural resources. The rebels finance themselves primarily through the income from mines.
