Congolese authorities in the far eastern Kalemie Territory along Lake Tanganyika near the border with Tanzania are negotiating with a group of bandits who kidnapped a Chinese national and a local woman in late April.
The unknown group of assailants is demanding a ransom for the release of the pair, who were taken captive after their vehicle was ambushed on a road near the town Kalemie on April 26th.
At least five Congolese soldiers protecting the vehicle were also killed during the attack.
John Mutumbo, the local administrator in the region, said this latest incident is part of a larger trend where armed attackers are targeting Chinese nationals in the area for kidnapping and ransom.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The threat facing Chinese nationals in the eastern DRC is not new. In 2021, the Chinese embassy in Kinshasa urged all of its nationals in three other provinces to leave due to worsening security conditions and the specific targeting of Chinese nationals by local militias and bandits. While many Chinese expatriates heeded those warnings, last month’s kidnapping highlights how many others did not, despite the risks.
