Safety notice released by the Chinese Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday Photo: Screenshot

On Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) issued a safety notice, urging Chinese citizens and companies not to travel to eastern DRC, including North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Haut-Uélé provinces, or enter the region via Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia or the Central African Republic.

The embassy advised those already in the eastern region to evacuate immediately and reminded them to call local police and contact the Chinese Embassy or relevant Chinese missions without delay in an emergency.

The security situation in eastern DRC has sharply deteriorated, with armed clashes in South Kivu continuing to escalate. According to information from the UN and other sources, M23 armed group has repeatedly used heavy weapons to strike civilian facilities in Uvira, Walungu, Mwenga, Shabunda, Kabare, Fizi and Kalehe, causing mass casualties and displacement, the Embassy said. 

Preliminary humanitarian assessments show that between December 2-7, the conflict resulted in at least 74 deaths, 83 injuries, and forced more than 200,000 people to flee, with thousands crossing border into Burundi and Rwanda to seek refuge.

On November 23, the Embassy also issued a safety notice advising Chinese nationals in eastern DRC to evacuate immediately, citing the highly complex and severe security situation in the region. 

Global Times