China-Africa trade network under scrutiny as Illicit minerals, weapons leaks, and crypto fraud persist

The arrest and conviction of three Chinese nationals in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has renewed scrutiny on how illicit finance networks help sustain conflict economies across parts of Africa.

• Three Chinese nationals have been convicted in eastern DRC for illegal mining and money laundering, spotlighting foreign involvement in conflict economies.
• Analysts say illicit gold, timber, and crypto networks linked to Chinese actors are helping sustain armed groups across Africa.
• Chinese-made weapons have also surfaced in multiple conflict zones, raising reputational and regulatory questions for Beijing.
• Experts stress there is no evidence of Chinese state involvement, but warn that opportunistic criminal activity is fuelling instability.

The men were detained in January 2025 with 10 gold bars and about $400,000 in cash and later convicted in Bukavu for money laundering and the illegal purchase and possession of mineral substances.

A Congolese court fined them $600,000, sentenced them to seven years in prison, and ordered their deportation from the country upon release.

Analysts have cited the case as fresh evidence that foreign financiers operate in active conflict zones, particularly in eastern DRC, where the M23 rebel group has seized territory, attacked civilians, and profited from smuggled minerals routed through neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda.

The M23’s expansion in 2025 has also revived questions about the origin of weapons circulating in the region. Adam Rousselle, editor in chief of Between the Lines Research, noted in an analysis for the Jamestown Foundation that Chinese-made weapons are widely available to armed groups, though he stressed that this does not imply direct state backing from Beijing.

“China sells vast quantities of weapons to Rwanda and Uganda,” Rousselle said on a China-Global South Project podcast.

Given the scale of minerals such as gold, cobalt, and coltan being extracted from conflict areas, he added that “China is the natural endpoint” for much of the trade, even without proof of a direct pipeline from rebel groups to Chinese buyers.

Gold smuggling illustrates the scale of the challenge, as in 2022, roughly 435 metric tonnes of gold were illicitly exported from Africa, with about 93 percent destined for the United Arab Emirates.

According to Rousselle, Chinese buyers are active at multiple points in the supply chain. Similar patterns appear in timber markets, where Chinese-linked syndicates dominate the export of rosewood and other high-value wood from Central and East Africa and the Sahel, often sourced from insecure areas.

“These gold and timber corridors easily provide the financial and logistical backbone for broader illicit trade,” Rousselle wrote, warning that the same routes can be repurposed to move weapons or finance militant groups.

Concerns are not limited to the Great Lakes region, as in May, Amnesty International confirmed the presence of Chinese-manufactured weapons in Khartoum and Darfur, despite a United Nations arms embargo on Sudan.

The weapons were reportedly imported through the UAE. Rousselle described China’s role in such cases as a “leaky bucket,” with goods and money flowing illegally into conflicts, even if not officially sanctioned.

China is also Africa’s largest legitimate arms supplier, a reality that complicates enforcement. C Géraud Neema, Africa editor at the China-Global South Project, said the growing visibility of Chinese nationals and weapons in war zones poses reputational risks for Beijing.

“At some point, they’re going to have to take a stance,” he said, urging greater cooperation with African law enforcement.

Beyond physical commodities, illicit finance has moved into digital channels. Rousselle’s research shows Chinese networks embedding themselves in West African stablecoin and cryptocurrency rails.

In July 2025, two Chinese nationals were convicted in Nigeria for fraud and money laundering, while in 2024, Nigerian authorities accused nearly 150 Chinese citizens of participating in coordinated crypto fraud schemes.

Rousselle emphasised that there is no evidence of Chinese government involvement or a single coordinated strategy across conflict zones. Instead, he pointed to “opportunistic” behaviour by criminal actors whose activities, intentionally or not, continue to fuel instability in parts of Africa.