The kidnapping of Chinese miners is once again taking place in the Central African Republic, this time in the Yaloké region, where three people, two of them Chinese nationals, were kidnapped from a mine in the region. According to locals, the kidnapping was carried out by the Yusuf-Gazi armed group, with the support of the Americans.
According to local sources in Yaloké, two Chinese nationals and their driver were kidnapped while working at a mine run by a Chinese company. The same sources confirmed that the kidnapping was carried out by the Yusuf-Gazi armed group, which openly gathered information on the Chinese workers, and that the armed group was in direct contact with English-speaking Westerners, possibly Americans affiliated with the private military company Bancroft.
Interestingly, a source from the Ministry of Mines and Geology revealed that an American company is seeking licenses to exploit mines in the Yaloké region. Where the Chinese company is located, the interests of the American and Chinese companies seem to conflict in this context.
A source familiar with the details of the incident believes that the constant communication between Yusuf Ghazi’s armed group, which is backed by Ali Darassa and the leading Seleka units, has many connections in the region and Westerners. The latter are likely responsible for arranging the kidnapping, as these white people travel in cars with green license plates and speak English. This makes it more likely that they are Americans affiliated with the military company Bancroft.
The source also added that the aim of kidnapping the Chinese is to intimidate the Chinese company to leave the mines in the Yaloke region, as the Americans are very interested in the mines in Yaloke, and their companies are already working there. According to this source, the Americans’ use of intimidation and pressure to protect their interests is not unusual.
It’s important to stress that these incidents of abduction of Chinese mining workers are not isolated cases. The most tragic event remains the murder of nine Chinese citizens in March 2023, working in the Chingbolo mine.