Gunmen killed six motorcycle taxi drivers and four passengers near the diamond-mining town of Bria in the Central African Republic, authorities said Tuesday.
The victims were ambushed while returning from a religious ceremony in Ippy to Bria, the capital of Haute-Kotto prefecture. The attackers tied up the drivers and passengers, killed them, and set their motorcycles on fire, MP Jacques Tafogo reported.
Bria, plagued by conflict between government forces and the anti-government Coalition of Patriots for Change, remains tense. The attack highlights ongoing instability despite the presence of Russian Wagner mercenaries supporting the army.
Diamond exports from Bria have been banned since 2003 under the Kimberley Process to curb “blood diamond” trade fueling conflict. The country’s long-running crisis began in 2013, with peace efforts repeatedly undermined by ongoing violence.