MILITIAMEN KIDNAP CONGOLESE POLICE COMMANDER

In North Kivu, armed men assimilated to Mayi-Mayi militiamen kidnapped the police commander of Kamandi-Gite this morning, from his residence in Kipese, a town in the Lubero region.

When they arrived at the victim’s home around 5 a.m., these people fired into the air to create panic. It was during this planned confusion that they took their hostage to an unknown destination, as confirmed by a resident of Kipese.

Several hours later (at 10 am), elements of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrived in the locality. Lubero territory administrator Joy Bokele confirms the news and reports that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of $ 1,100 to free the hostage. A sum which they funnily justify as being the equivalent of eleven cartridges used when capturing their hostage.

Joy Bokele reassured that the security services are on the job to free the hostage safe and sound.

For some time the territory of Lubero, in North Kivu has experienced an increase in insecurity characterized in particular by cases of killings, rapes, kidnappings as well as looting. Civil society accuses the Mai-Mai armed groups, notably Nduma defense of Congo (NDC) and Mazembe, of being the perpetrators.