DRC: Five Congo rangers killed in operation to rescue US journalist July 16 /update 1

Event

On Sunday, July 16, five park rangers were killed in an operation with the military to rescue an American journalist and three park rangers kidnapped by suspected Maï-Maï rebels in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve near the town of Mambasa (northeast) on Friday, July 14. It is unclear how the park rangers were killed.

Initially, ten people were missing after the ambush by the armed assailants on July 14, but local authorities announced that six Congolese rangers were found on Saturday, July 15.

Context

Kidnapping for ransom is a significant threat in the eastern regions of the DRC. There have been a growing number of attacks against mine workers and NGOs operating in the country, caused by the state’s limited presence in the eastern provinces and the presence of numerous armed groups and local self-defense militias (Maï-Maï militias). The Tanzanian Foreign Ministry confirmed that 21 Tanzanian and three Kenyan truckers driving in a convoy were abducted by Maï-Maï militants in eastern Lulimba, South Kivu province, on June 29. In March, two members of a United Nations Group of Experts - a Swede and a US national - were kidnapped and subsequently killed in Kasai-Central province, which has also seen an uptick in violence.

Advice

Due to these and other security concerns, many Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu (particularly outside the cities of Goma and Bukavu), as well as the northeast portion of Eastern province and the northern part of Katanga due to the presence of armed groups. Certain governments also advise against nonessential travel to the rest of the country.