Swiss national killed in attack in Central African Republic

The Swiss national was said to be looking for mineral deposits in the region. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

A Swiss national and a Central African soldier were killed on Thursday in an attack north of Bangui – the capital of the Central African Republic. According to military sources, the attackers were “as yet unidentified armed bandits”.

The Swiss national had travelled to the region to search for mineral deposits – a process known as mineral prospecting – as a senior officer in the Central African army told the French news agency AFP. He was reportedly travelling with his security escort, a non-commissioned officer in the army, who was also killed.

According to the officer, the attack took place last Thursday near the town of Damara, some 50 kilometres north of Bangui. The bodies have been transferred to the capital. The Central African judicial authorities will launch an investigation to clarify the circumstances and prosecute the perpetrators.

+ Swiss boost aid to Central African Republic

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of a Swiss national in response to an enquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency. The Cooperation Office in Bangui and the Swiss Embassy in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, are in contact with the relevant authorities and are coordinating assistance measures as part of consular protection.

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country bordering, among others, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite its rich mineral resources, such as diamonds and gold, it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Since the bloody civil war of the 2010s, the security situation there has improved, but remains unstable.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.