Armed Gang Abduct 3 Nurses In Democratic Republic Of Congo
Five nurses were initially kidnapped but two of them escaped after they were abducted from a health centre in Fizi territory of South Kivu.
Three nurses were on Sunday, March 10 abducted by yet to be identified armed gang who raided a health centre in Katalukulu, situated in the Batombwe tribal group of Mutambala sector in Fizi territory of South Kivu, DR Congo.
According to local sources, five nurses were initially kidnapped but two escaped from their captors.
The chief of the Batombwe tribal group, Mwami Ngoya Ngoya Tembele II who confirmed the abductions said the hostages were taken towards the Kakungu forest.
āAt around 7 p.m. on Sunday, armed men made an incursion into the Katalukulu health centre here where they abducted five nurses and took them into the bushes,ā Ngoya said.
āAmong the five, two succeeded in evading and the three others are still with their kidnappers in the Kakungu forest. We are calling for the involvement of all the security forces towards the liberation of the nurses.ā
The army suspects that the Biloze Bishambuke armed group, which is a notorious militia in the region, are responsible for the abduction of the three nurses.
āWe have heard that there was an abduction of nurses in the Katalukulu health centre. We went to the scene and found out that two had returned but three were taken away,ā Col. David Ipanga, Commander of the 2202nd army regiment declared.
āWe have information that the kidnappers are Bishambuke who have taken them to Simbi. We are continuing with our investigations in order to free these innocent nurses.ā
The Katalukulu health centre takes care of Rwandan refugees at the Mulongwe site.
Cases of abductions in Fizi territory are recurrent precisely within the Batombwe tribal group. Towards the end of February this year, agents of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) TearFund were kidnapped in this same zone and later freed after the intervention of the DR Congo armed forces, FARDC.
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