A Chinese man and two Lebanese nationals were shot dead in a crime wave in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo that also left 10 Congolese dead this week, witnesses and officials said Friday.
The Chinese man was shot dead in broad daylight in the town of Likasi late Friday, witnesses told AFP.
In the city of Lubumbashi, near the border with Zambia, a Lebanese man was shot dead in his home by a Congolese man who had been asking him for money, the witnesses said.
The mayor of Lubumbashi, Marie-Gregoire Tambila, told AFP that 11 people had been killed in the last four days in her city, including a Lebanese national who was killed on Christmas day.
The 10 other victims were Congolese, local sources said.
"We don't know the motivations of Congolese people who kill foreigners," Tambila said. "But it all seems to revolve around the crisis hitting Katanga (province)." Mining companies have slashed 300,000 jobs due to the drop in cobalt and copper prices.
"This high crime rate follows the massive arrival in Lubumbashi of miners following the closure of mining companies in Katanga," Tambila said.
Police launched operations Friday in the city's most dangerous areas.
"We are overwhelmed," Colonel Jacques Ilunga said. "For an urban area of four million, we barely have the logistical means to ensure security for 700,000 people."
