Rebels kill at least four people in an attack on a mining town in the Central African Republic

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Armed rebels attacked a Chinese-controlled gold mining town in the Central African Republic on Sunday, killing at least four people, authorities said.

Maxime Balalu, a local government spokesman, told the Associated Press that the Coalition of Patriots for Change, an alliance of rebel groups with former President Francois Bozize, carried out the attack in Gaga, a village about 200 kilometers from the capital Bangui .

He said the death toll could rise, including several people who worked at the nearby mine. Several others were injured in the attack, Balalu said.

The Central African Republic has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced President Francois Bozize from office. Predominantly Christian militias fought back.

A 2019 peace deal only eased the fighting, and six of the 14 armed groups that later signed left the deal. The Coalition of Patriots for Change was founded in 2020 following the agreement.

Despite its enormous mineral wealth, including gold and diamonds, the country remains one of the poorest in the world. Rebel groups have operated with impunity in the disputed country over the past decade, thwarting mining exploration by foreign companies.

Many of the companies operating in the country today are run by Chinese and have faced security challenges. Last year, nine Chinese nationals were killed at another gold mine in the Central African Republic in an attack that the government blamed on the same rebel alliance. In 2020, two Chinese nationals died when local residents led a rebellion against a Chinese-operated mine in Sosso Nakombo.