Suspected rebels kill nine Chinese workers in Central African Republic

New Delhi: Suspected armed rebels stormed a Chinese-operated gold mining site that was recently launched in the Central African Republic, killing nine Chinese nationals and wounding two others. Officials and news agencies said.

The attack early Sunday came just days after gunmen kidnapped three Chinese nationals in the country's west near the border with Cameroon, prompting President Faustin Archange Touadera to plan a trip to China to reassure investors.

News agencies said that the assault on the Chimbolo gold mine began around 5 a.m. when the gunmen overpowered the site's guards and opened fire, said Abel Matipata, mayor of the nearby town of Bambari, located 25 kilometres away.

The bodies of the victims were brought to the capital, Bangui. Local authorities said they were pursuing the assailants, but declined further comment. Residents said that the violence was the latest incident undermining confidence in security forces.

China’s embassy in the Central African Republic has urged its citizens to avoid travelling outside the capital, Bangui, after the killing of nine Chinese nationals by suspected rebels.

The embassy said in a statement on Sunday there had been many “vicious” security incidents against workers of foreign mining enterprises in the area, and Chinese citizens still outside Bangui were requested to evacuate immediately.

“We have counted nine bodies and two wounded,” Abel Matchipata, the mayor, told AFP.  The attack happened about 5am (03:00 GMT), he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “severe punishment” for the perpetrators in accordance with the law and said Chinese citizens’ safety must be ensured, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The security risk level in CAR, apart from the capital, was “red”, or very high, the Chinese foreign ministry added.

The ministry said it would work with governments and guide its embassies and consulates to take further effective measures to fully safeguard Chinese citizens and enterprises in Africa.

There have been several attacks on Chinese nationals abroad in recent months, prompting embassies to issue warnings and conduct evacuations.