Shooting at a Central African Republic gold mine run by Russia's Wagner leaves 11 dead

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — A shooting at a mine controlled by the Russia-linked Wagner mercenary group in the Central African Republic killed at least 11 people, residents and aid workers said Friday.

The victims were killed Wednesday night at the gold mine in Ndassima, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of the country’s capital of Bangui, the residents and aid workers told The Associated Press. Residents of nearby villages are forbidden access to the Wagner-controlled mine.

Resident Serge Pounematchi, whose son was among those killed, said the victims were at the site searching for gold residue and gravel when they were summarily killed. He joined other villagers in holding funerals for the victims.

“It is a shame that the right to life does not exist,” Pounematchi said.

Authorities did not yet confirm any details of the violence, and local officials did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Two aid workers, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted, confirmed that the victims were young people from surrounding villages and that most were shot dead.

Constantin Pounoukouzou, a resident of Ndassima, said some villagers are still missing. “Unemployed young people have no choice but to go to this site at night (for) the gravel,” Pounoukouzou said.

Wagner is often accused of carrying out rights abuses and extrajudicial killings with little or no accountability in Central African Republic, where it has pledged to fight rebel groups and restore peace.

The mercenaries have served as personal bodyguards for President Faustin Archange Touadera, helping him win a 2023 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely.