China has warned its citizens against visiting eastern DR Congo after a series of kidnappings and killings.
Scores of armed groups are fighting for control of mineral resources and land in the area, creating what the Chinese embassy describes as a “severe” security situation.
It said it had repeatedly warned its citizens from going to four provinces in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo it considers “dangerous” – Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Haut Uélé – and other high-risk areas.
The embassy asked its citizens and companies in the affected areas to “immediately stop operations and evacuate as soon as possible.”
Chinese citizens have also been caught up in a recent crackdown on illegal mining in gold-rich South Kivu.
The authorities there are carrying out a large-scale audit of foreign-funded mining companies in the province and punishing illegal activities and “some Chinese citizens who were operating illegally in the local area have been arrested”, the embassy said on Sunday.
It added that it had requested the authorities to “enforce the law in a civilised manner and protect the personal safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens”.
Companies from China are paying a high cost for their investment in the region, which has been plagued by violence and instability for the past three decades, with a series of recent kidnappings of Chinese and Congolese workers.
In late July, the embassy said “there are still uncertainties and instability” following an attempted coup in May that was put down by the army and the security situation was continuing to deteriorate.
“Violent conflicts, armed robbery, kidnapping and other incidents occur from time to time. The security risks faced by Chinese citizens in Congo are still high,” the embassy said.
In July, an armed attack on a private Chinese gold mining company in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo “left several Chinese nationals dead or missing”.
Local officials said the attack killed six Chinese nationals and at least two Congolese soldiers. The attack was reportedly carried out by Codeco (the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo), a loose association of militia groups mainly from the ethnic Lendu farming community.
Codeco is one of the many militias fighting for influence and rich resources in Eastern Congo, including the M23 rebel group, which Kinshasa claims is backed by Rwanda – a claim Kigali has denied.
Kivu and the neighbouring province of Ituri are home to a massive amount of minerals, including gold, tin, tungsten, coltan and tantalum.
Some Chinese enterprises continue to operate in the area, reportedly partnering with local licence holders by providing funding and equipment for gold mining.
Last month, Jean-Jacques Purusi, the governor of South Kivu, suspended all mining activities until further notice because of “the disorder caused by mining operators.”
He said the move was intended to “restore order to mining throughout the province and to preserve not only human lives, but also the traceability of mineral production in these sites.”
The embassy in Kinshasa warned Chinese companies and citizens in Congo that if they engage in mining activities, they must register with the authorities and seek a licence.
In 2021, Beijing ordered six companies in South Kivu to cease operating and leave the country, after the DRC government suspended their operations over illegal mining and environmental destruction.
The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a critical component used in lithium-ion batteries for electric cars and mobile phones, as well as Africa’s top copper producer.
Early this year, Sinohydro Corporation and China Railway Group agreed to invest up to US$7 billion in infrastructure as part of a revised agreement on the Sicomines copper and cobalt joint venture following last year’s visit by President Félix Tshisekedi to China.