A recent announcement from the Chinese Embassy in the DRC warns the security situation in the DRC is complex and severe. Photo: Chinese Embassy in the DRC

China on Thursday strongly condemned the attack in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that left several Chinese nationals dead, and demanded that local authorities promptly hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice as soon as possible. 

On Wednesday, an armed attack on a private Chinese company in the DRC left several Chinese nationals dead or missing, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning during Thursday's routine news conference. 

China strongly condemns the attack and is in close contact with the DRC, she said. "An all-out search effort is underway for the missing Chinese nationals. We ask the DRC to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice as soon as possible, and take concrete and effective measures to better protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals and companies in the DRC."

The northeastern part of the DRC has long suffered a poor security situation, for which the Foreign Ministry has issued multiple security alerts, Mao said. 

"We once again remind our fellow Chinese nationals to closely follow the Foreign Ministry's security alerts and act accordingly, not to travel to high-risk areas, and to leave those areas as quickly as possible if they are already there," she said. 

According to a recent announcement from the Chinese Embassy in the DRC, the security situation in the DRC is complex and severe, and continues to deteriorate in some areas.

The Embassy reminded all Chinese nationals in DRC to pay close attention to safety issues. Chinese nationals conducting business in the capital city of Kinshasa are advised to closely monitor the local situation, strengthen security measures, and not be complacent. The Embassy also reminded Chinese nationals not to travel to high-risk areas.

According to embassy reports and media coverage, the security situation for Chinese nationals in the DRC in recent years has been poor, with frequent cases of them being attacked and killed in the area.

In April 2024, two Chinese nationals were attacked by anti-government armed forces, resulting in the death of one person. In another incident, two Chinese nationals were robbed at gunpoint by bandits, also resulting in one death.

In September 2023, armed bandits robbed a gold transport vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two Chinese nationals.

In August 2022, during an attack by militia on a gold mine, four Chinese nationals were kidnapped and taken hostage. Two of them were rescued, while the other two are missing.

In April 2020, a mining area was attacked by gunmen at night, resulting in the deaths of three Chinese nationals.

In March 2019, two Chinese nationals were killed in an armed robbery.

Global Times