A civil society group reported on Thursday that a militia assault on a gold mine in northeastern Congo resulted in the deaths of six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers. The attack, which occurred on Wednesday in the village of Gambala and at the nearby “Camp Blanquette” gold mine in Ituri province, was claimed by the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO).
According to Jean Robert Basiloko, a member of the local civil society group, the attackers, identified as members of CODECO, set homes ablaze before targeting the mine, which is under the protection of a rival armed group known as the Zaire Militia.
The violence in eastern Congo has been fueled by longstanding conflicts between government forces and over 120 armed groups vying for control of the region’s valuable resources, particularly gold. Recent months have seen an escalation in hostilities as security forces continue to confront militia groups.
Basiloko stated that in addition to the fatalities, two Chinese miners were abducted during the attack, and their whereabouts remain unknown. The conflict between CODECO and the Zaire Militia underscores the complex dynamics of economic interests and power struggles within the region.
CODECO, primarily composed of militia factions from the ethnic Lendu farming community, has been responsible for numerous deadly attacks in recent years. According to the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism, CODECO-related violence claimed nearly 1,800 lives and injured over 500 people between 2018 and 2022.
The United Nations has condemned some of these attacks as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, highlighting the severity of the situation in eastern Congo.
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