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Two staff members abducted last month in North Kivu province have been released, an ICRC official said.
Two members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who were abducted last month in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been released, a humanitarian agency said.
The ICRC said in late November that one Congolese national and international worker had been abducted in North Kivu province, where most of the armed forces operate.
“We are relieved by the return of our friends and we are delighted that they are able to return to their families,” Rachel Bernhard, the ICRC’s representative in Congo, told Reuters on Saturday.
“We would like to reiterate that these robberies and other attacks on humanitarian workers can jeopardize the well-being of the communities most affected by the conflict.”
He did not elaborate on the details of the abduction or subsequent release.
The robbery took place on November 30 as their two-vehicle caravan drove from the provincial capital Goma to the nearby Sake area as part of a water supply operation.
The region is located in the province of North Kivu, one of the two that has been under the control of Congolese troops since May when the government declared a siege due to widespread violence by terrorist groups.
“The risk of xenophobia has increased, especially since 2016, due to the insecurity and lawlessness that many areas outside the eastern DRC town, especially in northern Kivu and on the Rwanda-Uganda border,” the security company said. GardaWorld said. in his remarks Saturday.
“Most of the victims are locals, although outside workers are monitored.”
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have warned of an increase in violence in the eastern DRC. Three UN refugee workers were injured Wednesday in North Kivu when their car caught fire.
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