In the early hours of July 18, a vehicle carrying five individuals, including three Chinese nationals, their driver, and their translator, set out from Niamey, Niger Republic, on a gold prospecting mission in the Mbanga area.
The group, initially escorted by three GNN vehicles, was joined by two additional GNN vehicles upon arrival.Shortly after reaching their destination, the convoy was ambushed.
In the chaos, only two vehicles managed to escape, leaving three GNN vehicles, including that of the mission chief, and the Chinese vehicle missing, along with their occupants.
Later that evening, around 6 PM, reinforcements sent to pursue the attackers were also ambushed by the same elements, led by Khatab, the Chief of JNIM-AQMI in Niger.
The pursuit team found a guard vehicle and the Chinese vehicle crushed, with three bodies discovered at the scene.
One civilian was found alive, though their identity—whether the driver or the translator—remains unclear. Additionally, twenty members of the pursuit team are unaccounted for and missing.
In total, three GNN vehicles and their crews, three Chinese nationals, one civilian, and approximately twenty GNN members remain missing.
Their current status is unknown, raising fears they may have been killed, captured by JNIM-AQMI, or possibly managed to escape.
Authorities are continuing their search for the missing individuals and are working to uncover their fate. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Source: Zagazola Makama
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