Business Day published on 5 December 2025 an article titled "Gunmen Abduct Two Chinese Nationals in Kwara Amid Rising Kidnapping Cases" by Adeola Ajakalye.
Armed men kidnapped on 1 December two Chinese nationals working on a road construction project in Nigeria's Kwara State. There has been a troubling surge of kidnappings in Kwara State.
The China-Africa Security Radar posted on 22 November 2025 an article titled "'Mining Slave' Warning in CAR Sparks Fierce Debate among Chinese Netizens."
The Chinese embassy in Bangui, Central African Republic, issued a strong warning about the dangers facing Chinese nationals involved in gold mining. This led to a vigorous internet debate among Chinese netizens as to how to respond to the warning.
Nigeria's The Telegraph published on 6 September 2025 an article titled "Gunmen Kill Eight NSCDC Officers, Abduct Chinese Expatriate in Edo" by Ngozika Onah.
Nigerian gunmen on September 5 attacked Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel escorting five Chinese nationals in Edo State who work at a cement factory. The gunmen killed eight NSCDC personnel and kidnapped one Chinese national. The other four Chinese nationals were rescued.
Agence France Presse published on 5 September 2025 an article titled "Chinese Firms Pay Price of Jihadist Strikes against Mali Junta."
Jihadis linked to al-Qaeda have targeted all foreign companies in Mali in an effort to force the military junta to accept sharia law. Chinese operated gold and lithium operations have experienced the brunt of these attacks. Jihadis have kidnapped at least 11 Chinese nationals.
The Associated Press published on 31 March 2025 an article titled "China Says 3 Chinese Crew Members Suspected of Being Kidnapped from a Boat Off Ghana Are Safe" by Francis Kokutse.
Chinese-owned fishing vessels often register as Ghanaian in order to fish legally in Ghanaian waters. Three Chinese crew members on one of these vessels were believed to have been kidnapped by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea but were subsequently declared to be safe by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Neither China nor Ghana has released details of the episode.
Reuters published on 8 October 2024 an article titled "UN Weighs Suspending Relief to Ethiopia's Amhara after Aid Workers Attacked, Document Shows" by Reade Levinson and Giulia Paravicini.
Five aid workers were killed, 10 assaulted, and 11 kidnapped by unidentified criminal gangs in Amhara Region between January and June 2024. The United Nations is seriously considering a temporary suspension of relief operations in Amhara Region unless the government can guarantee their safety.
The South China Morning Post published on 7 August 2024 an article titled "China Warns Citizens to Leave DR Congo after Series of Deaths and Kidnappings" by Jevans Nyabiage.
China has asked its citizens and companies to "immediately stop operations and evacuate" 4 provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of kidnappings and attacks on Chinese nationals.
Agence France Presse published on 16 June 2024 an article titled "Six Nigerien Soldiers Killed Guarding Pipeline to Benin."
Armed bandits killed 6 Nigerien soldiers protecting a 1,200-mile-long pipeline from oil fields in Niger to a port in Benin. The pipeline is operated by the Nigerien Chinese oil company Wapco Niger, which is a subsidiary of the China National Petroleum Corporation.
Deutsche Welle published on 12 June 2024 an article titled "Benin-Niger Oil Export Row Flares Again" by Rodrigue Guezodje and Kate Hairsine.
The attack cited above coincided with a charge from Niger that Benin kidnapped 5 Nigerien nationals affiliated with the pipeline. As a result, Niger shut down the pipeline. Until oil begins to flow again, all three parties--Niger, Benin, and CNPC--are losers.
The Associated Press published an article dated 12 May 2024 titled "Rebels Kill At Least 4 During an Attack on a Central African Republic Mining Town" by Jean-Fernand Koena.
Rebels in the Central Africa Republic (CAR) attacked a Chinese-run gold mine in Gaga village and killed at least four people. A year ago, rebels killed nine Chinese nationals at another mine in the CAR.
Atlas News published an article dated 6 May 2024 titled "Chinese Nationals Kidnapped in the Central African Republic" by Bianca Bridger.
This report several days earlier said an undisclosed number of Chinese nationals working at a mining site in Gofo, Basse-Kotto prefecture, had been kidnapped, presumably for ransom.
The Maritime Executive published on 25 March 2024 an article titled "India Begins Its First Prosecution of Somali Pirates in More Than a Decade."
Indian authorities in Mumbai are now prosecuting 35 Somali pirates captured on the hijacked Bulgarian ship, the Ruen, which is being returned to Bulgaria. The cases against the Somalis are being brought under India's Maritime Anti-Piracy laws.
The Nigerian Tribune published on 7 March 2024 an article titled "Chinese Engineer Kidnapped, Civil Defense Officer Killed in Kogi" by Yekini Jimoh.
A Chinese road engineer was kidnapped, and a Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps officer assigned to protect the engineer was killed recently in south central Nigeria.
Comment: Kidnapping has been an ongoing problem for Chinese nationals and other expatriates for many years in different parts of Nigeria. The usual objective of the kidnappers is a ransom payment.
The Washington Post published on 23 February 2024 an article titled "Sudanese Militiamen Carry Out Wave of Abductions, Seeking Slaves and Ransom" by Katharine Houreld and Hafiz Haroun.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is composed primarily of Arab militiamen, are abducting mostly African Masalit tribe members in Darfur as forced laborers or as persons to be ransomed.
The Guardian published on 23 January 2024 an article titled "'This Is a Pandemic'; Ethiopia's Oromia Region Gripped by Surge in Kidnappings" by Fred Harter.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and possible other groups have been identified as instigating abductions in Oromia in return for a ransom payment. Kidnapping has become a way of life because it is easy money to sustain the OLA.
Foreign Policy posted on 30 March 2023 a commentary titled "Beijing Doesn't Know Who to Blame for Gold Mine Murders" by Arthur Kaufman, an editor at China Digital Times.
On 19 March, a group of armed men attacked a gold mine operation in the Central African Republic (CAR), killing nine Chinese citizens and injuring two more. It remains unclear who perpetrated the crime. The CAR government blamed the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), an alliance of rebel groups hostile to the government. The CPC denied any involvement and claimed the attack was conducted by the Wagner Group, Russian mercenaries backing the central government. This attack in the CAR is part of a broader pattern of violence against Chinese citizens in the country.
The Associated Press published on 19 March 2023 an article titled "Gunmen Kill 9 Chinese at Mine in Central African Republic" by Jean-Fernand Koena and Krista Larson.
Unknown gunmen attacked a Chinese-operated gold mine in the violence-prone Central African Republic, killing 9 Chinese and injuring 2 others. The attack followed an incident in a different part of the CAR that resulted in the kidnapping of 3 Chinese nationals.
The BBC posted on 20 March 2023 an article titled "China's President Xi Jinping Condemns Killings of Miners in CAR."
President Xi said every effort should be made to save the lives of the wounded, and to ensure the perpetrators were arrested and "punished severely" under the law.
The New York Times published on 20 March 2023 an article titled "Xi Condemns Killings in African Nation Where Russia and Chinese Interests Compete" by Elian Peltier.
The New Humanitarian published on 16 February 2023 an article titled "Ethiopian Minorities Remain Fearful Despite Peace Deal" by Claire Wilmot, London School of Economics.
Minority Kunama, Irob, Qemant, and Agew from northern Ethiopia who became refugees in Sudan are still fearful about returning to their homes. The article also sheds light on the broader concerns of these small ethnic groups.
The Associated Press published on 2 December an article titled "Eritrean Forces Still Killing Tigray Civilians, Report Says" by Cara Anna.
According to information compiled between November 17 and 25 by the Tigray Emergency Coordination Center (ECC), regional government offices, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organizations, Eritrean military forces killed 111 civilians and injured another 103 in eastern Tigray. There were also 39 kidnappings and widespread looting by Eritrean forces. As a result, Tigray forces say they will hand over their heavy weapons to the Ethiopian government only after Eritrea's military leaves Tigray Region.
The Voice of America posted on 24 May 2022 an article titled "Chinese Working in Africa Face Threat of Kidnapping" by Kate Bartlett.
As Chinese nationals become more numerous in Africa, are perceived to carry a significant amount of cash, and have a track record of paying ransom, they are increasingly subject to kidnapping. This report looks at cases in Nigeria and the DRC.
The Diplomat published on 9 April 2021 an article titled "Kidnappings Plague Chinese Worksites in Nigeria" by Shannon Tiezzi.
Chinese nationals working in Nigeria have been subject increasingly to kidnapping for ransom. They are seen as "sweet pastry" by the local kidnapping gangs.
