China’s embassy in the Central African Republic issued a stark alert on Thursday to its citizens, warning of severe risks including forced labour, kidnappings and murders in the country’s booming but perilous gold mining sector, as economic pressures at home drive thousands of Chinese workers into Africa’s lawless frontiers.
The advisory, prompted by a surge in attacks on Chinese nationals amid CAR’s decade-long conflict, highlighted cases where miners had their passports seized and were coerced into illicit operations, branded as “mining slaves” before eventual deportation.
“Chinese citizens engaged in gold mining operations in the Central African Republic face significant security risks,” the embassy stated, citing reports of passport confiscations and exploitation by criminal networks.eb93bf
It detailed grim incidents, including deaths from militia ambushes, staged murders disguised as car crashes or suicides after business disputes, and fatalities from severe malaria in remote sites lacking medical care.
The warning comes as gold prices soar and China’s state-backed purchases fuel a rush, with workers fleeing domestic slowdowns to CAR — a hotspot alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Mali, where weak regulation enables armed groups to control mines.
China, which has loaned over $26 million to CAR despite its instability, rarely intervenes publicly in foreign affairs but has grown vocal on overseas safety, urging nationals to exercise “extreme caution” and avoid unverified partnerships.
The alert underscores broader perils for China’s expanding African footprint, where illicit mining funds conflict and exploits migrants in a nation rich in gold, diamonds and oil yet crippled by violence.
