Official statements from the DRC government or international news agencies

China Condemns CODECO Militia Attack in DRC Killing Six, 25 Soldiers Sentenced to Death

Jul 4, 2024, 08:40 AM

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly condemned a militia attack that killed six Chinese nationals and at least two Congolese soldiers at a gold mining site in Ituri province. The attack was carried out by CODECO militia. China is in contact with the DRC to search for missing Chinese nationals and has urged the DRC to hunt down the perpetrators. Additionally, a military tribunal in the DRC has sentenced twenty-five soldiers to death for fleeing battles against M23 rebels and theft. This comes amid ongoing disarray in Congo's armed forces, which have faced significant losses while trying to curb a two-year uprising. Soldiers from the 223rd Battalion were sent to the lush hillsides near Lake Kivu to repel a rebel advance threatening Goma, the largest city in the mineral-rich east.