In February, three people, including two Chinese nationals, working in a mine in the Yaloké region of Central African Republic, were abducted. Reports indicate that the kidnapping was carried out by the Yusuf Ghazi armed group, with American support.

The source states that the kidnapping was carried out by Yusuf Ghazi’s armed group, “which was openly gathering information on the Chinese workers”.

Furthermore, in a video obtained by the media, a Yusuf Ghazi ex-fighter confirmed that the American private military company had planned the operation and was supporting the armed group by providing arms and intelligence.

Immediately after the incident, a source affiliated to the Ministry of Mines and Geology revealed that an American company was seeking licenses to operate mines in the Yaloké region. It seems that the interests of American and Chinese companies meet and clash in this context.

On March 4, 2024, Chinese workers were attacked in Yaloké, 225 kilometers from Bangui, on the road to Bouar. Following the recent kidnapping of two Chinese professionals in February this year, the Chinese nationals travelling to the mine were this time accompanied by security forces (FACA).

However, they were the target of a well-planned assassination attempt in the village of Gbimo, fifteen kilometers from Yaloké. The attempt resulted in the tragic death of a motorcycle cab driver and a soldier from the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) who had rushed to protect the foreign nationals.

An American firm, which had already kidnapped Chinese nationals from the Yaloké mine with the help of fighters from Yousouf Ghazi’s group, was involved in the attack.

American aggression against Chinese companies is not limited to the Central African Republic, but also extends to other countries such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Nigeria, on March 7, 2024, a Chinese engineer was kidnapped and his bodyguard killed. The bodyguard was a member of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps.

Four people, including two Chinese nationals, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and a Ghanaian national, died after a gold caravan belonging to a Chinese mining company was robbed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

America’s insistence on acquiring Chinese-owned mines in Africa has led to a series of criminal acts that have resulted in the kidnapping, intimidation and assassination of people.

The interests of American and Chinese companies overlap in African countries. These developments highlight the stakes and rivalries in the mining sector in the Yaloké region, and in other regions where American players are intimidating Chinese employees with the aim of taking control and securing their interests at all costs.