DR Congo Army Rescues 5 Hostages as Survivors of Mobondo Attacks Remain in Fear
Five women abducted by Mobondo militia in DR Congo’s Kwamouth territory have been freed by the army, while others who escaped captivity remain traumatised and afraid to resume farming.
The Congolese army has rescued five women held hostage by the Mobondo militia after a recent attack on Camp Banku, a village in Kwamouth territory, western DR Congo.
The women were abducted on Monday, Sept. 1, while working on their farms in a nearby forest. Their release followed a rescue operation conducted by troops of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), who had been deployed to the area.
Captain Anthony Mualushayi, the spokesperson of the FARDC’s 11th military region, said the operation was carried out “without major clashes” and the women were safely returned to their families through their community’s civil society. He added that the army remains committed to pursuing operations aimed at restoring security in Kwamouth, which has suffered repeated militia incursions.
Initial reports suggested that ten women had been abducted, but sources later clarified that five had been dragged into the forest by the Mobondo militia. Others managed to escape captivity and have since trickled back into their village. Although physically unharmed, the women remain deeply traumatised and fearful of returning to their farmlands.
“The women returned exhausted after running long distances. They are not wounded, but they are traumatised. We are taking care of them,” said Stany Libie, the chief of Kimomo village in Kwamouth territory. “The government must assume its responsibilities and mop up the forest to dislodge the militia. Even if the assailants did not kill people, these women are all the same, traumatised. What we all want is peace. The constitution says it is the government’s duty to protect the population.”
The Mobondo militia, largely drawn from the Yaka community, emerged from intercommunal tensions over land rights and customary royalties between the “native” Teke and “non-native” Yaka settlers in Kwamouth territory. Since the conflict erupted in mid-2022, the group has carried out repeated attacks marked by killings, abductions, and forced displacement.
The latest incursion has dealt another blow to the already fragile local economy. Camp Banku, located along the National Highway 17 and about 25 kilometres from the town of Bandundu, had until recently been spared from Mobondo attacks since the start of the current crisis. Farming, the village’s lifeline, is now threatened as residents weigh the risks of returning to their fields.
Summary not available at this time.
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