Media: Wagner PMC militants are involved in the murder of Chinese citizens in the CAR

Wagner PMC militants may be involved in the murder of nine Chinese nationals in the Central African Republic.

AP reports about this.

Central African Republic authorities reported that gunmen had stormed the Chinese-run Chimbolo gold mining facility. As a result of the shooting, 9 people died, 2 more were injured.

The rebel coalition, who were initially blamed for the attack, issued a statement denying their involvement. They also accused the mercenaries of the Wagner PMC of the attack.

The rebel representatives claim that Russian mercenaries planned the attack “in order to frighten the Chinese who were in the country before the Russians appeared in this part of the country”.

The attack occurred just days after gunmen had abducted three Chinese nationals in the country’s west near the border with Cameroon, prompting President Faustin Archange Touadera to plan a trip to China in a bid to reassure investors.

President Touadéra is said to have hired a group of Russian mercenaries to provide security and military training, but UN observers have accused them of human rights abuses, including mass killings.

The Central African Republic is rich in gold and diamonds. Insurgent groups have been operating throughout the country, preventing mineral exploration by foreign companies.

Many of those operating in the country now 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 had died in a boating accident while accompanying Chinese miners to a site.

As previously reported, Wagner PMC might strengthen its presence in Burkina Faso.