Share & more
Two members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were abducted on Wednesday by seven unidentified armed men in the Bouenza region of southern Republic of Congo.
A statement released by the ICRC on Thursday said the two men - one French and one Congolese - were taken away as they were assessing the needs of displaced people in the area.
They had travelled to several other villages situated to the southwest of the capital, Brazzaville, to meet people displaced by recent disturbances.
The ICRC said it had informed the country's military and civilian authorities of the abduction and remained in permanent contact with them with a view to resolving the crisis. It added that the organisation was "deeply concerned" about the fate of its two staff members and strongly condemned the act, which, it said "could only have negative consequences for humanitarian action in the country".
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions