BENI, Congo: A local official says five workers have been kidnapped from a gold mine in eastern Congo, including two from France and one from Tanzania.
Kabambare administrator Balthazar Hemedi Kabemba said Thursday that two Congolese also were abducted overnight from Banro Mining Corp.'s Namoya mine.
He says an investigation has been opened, but members of the rebel group Rahiya Mutomboki have left leaflets around the mines threatening its workers.
The official says the rebel group is in talks with the mining company, demanding a ransom and a contract to construct basic infrastructure in the area, including roads.
Banro's Namoya mine manager Crispin Mwetwedu says they have received an anonymous call demanding a ransom.
Congo is home to multiple militias vying for control of its mineral-rich land.
