Case Number
2024CODECOBV
Case Date of Filing
16/12/2024
Suspected/Known Time of Incident
Local Time and Date: unknown.
First reported by Reuters on the 4th of July 2024
Case Researcher(s)
Vincentz Bill
Summary
First reported by Reuters on the 4th of July 2024 (link), there was an attack on a Chinese linked mining site in north-eastern Congo, killing six Chinese nationals and at least two Congolese soldiers.
The July attack on the mine by CODECO militiamen fits their MO. One of CODECO widely proclaimed strategic objectives is to disrupt the foreign exploitation of local resources, thus explaining their targeted attacks on Chinese-linked mining sites. This suspected site of attack would thus be an ideal target: convenient road access, suitable cover as militiamen could quickly disperse into the communities and maximize damage to the Chinese-linked mining company.
Case Location
Latitude/Longitude (WGS84):
28° 48' 52,6" E , 4° 57' 56,9" S
Village of Ngalula, Fizi region of South Kivu province, DRC. An artisanal gold panning mine existed here from at least 2009 to 2023 though could be longer. Unclear on its exact location as it likely doesn’t require a huge amount of infrastructure.
Town/Region/Country:
Djugu Territoy, North-Eastern DRC
Individual Incident Locations:
The exact location of the facility was not known to the reporters in the initial report. However, there were some clues.
Potential Location:
1. This article points out that the attack happened in Djugu territory.
2. Dead bodies from the attack were brought to the city of Bunia a few kilometers south of Djugu territory of Djugu territory. Given the poor road infrastructure in the region, we concluded that the attacks must have happened within a short distance of Bunia and hence, we looked for mines within a short radius of Bunia, with direct access to roads for quick transport to larger hubs in other areas.
3. The most likely candidate which fit these criteria was a gold mine next to Nizi river, 15 km away from Bunia, located at 1°41'13"N 30°16'29"E. However, there are no recent satellite images we could find, and we have not found any corroborating photo evidence online which could help in this verification. There are, however, several reasons beyond the one listed above which suggest that this is the site of the attack:
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The main road of the region, the RN27, which connects the Djugu territory with the South, runs directly east of the mine, meaning that attackers would have been able to easily transport men and weapons to the mine’s proximity.
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The area to the east of the mine is fairly densely populated, with several thousand people living along the RN27 road. It is possible that this area was used by the attackers to prepare in close proximity. It is furthermore possible that some of the attackers even live in this area. Ethnic Lendus are among the largest ethnic groups in the Djugu region, and although their wider stance towards CODECO remains disputed, it is possible that some of the CODECO militiamen are locals who used their strategic position to launch this attack. However, this is mere speculation at this point and we would need concrete investigation by local law enforcement to substantiate.
Case Location Evidence Below:



