About 300 Chinese nationals working in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s copper belt were detained earlier this week as part of a crackdown on illegal mining, according to people familiar with the matter.
The arrests took place mostly in the mining hub of Kolwezi, the people said, asking not to be named describing a sensitive issue. Chinese companies dominate copper output in Congo, and workers were arrested for their alleged involvement in illicit mining on concessions belonging to other firms, according to some of the people.