World Bulletin / News Desk

Armed men have held up 23 trucks and their drivers Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The trucks belonging to contractors of a Canadian company called Banro Mining Corporation, were traveling in the South Kivu province in the western DRC, a security officer in South Kivu ,Lt Francis Jacques Kakengo said.

"Twenty-three trucks belonging to Banro's contractors for the Namoya gold mine have been trapped today by armed men in Lulimba, which is infested with armed groups.Before being trapped there was an exchange of gunfire between the armed men and army men,'' he said.

He added on that 18 of the drivers held by the armed men were Tanzanian, three Ugandan and two Congolese.

Four workers belonging to the same company including a Frenchman were kidnapped from the Namoya mine in March 2017. They were released in May 2017.

Numerous militia groups operate in eastern and central DRC.