DRC: Kidnappers demand USD 500,000 to release priest /update 1

Event

The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) announced on Tuesday, April 3, that the kidnappers of a Catholic priest, abducted on April 1 in North Kivu province, are demanding a USD 500,000 ransom for his release. It remains unknown if the ransom will be paid.

The identity of the assailants, as well as the whereabouts of the kidnapped priest, remain unknown.

Context

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped the priest near the town of Karambi (North Kivu) on April 1. This is not the first time clergymen have been targeted: three fathers of the Assumptionist Order were abducted in the region in October 2012, and two priests were abducted in July 2017. There has been no news of any of them since.

The government's limited presence in the DRC's eastern provinces, including North Kivu, as well as the presence of numerous armed groups and local self-defense militias (Maï-Maï militias) have led to continued insecurity in the area. In 2017, North and South Kivu provinces recorded an increase in armed group activities. Humanitarian organizations have stated that security conditions in the Kivu regions present a major obstacle to delivering humanitarian assistance to those in need, as kidnappings, including of Congolese and foreign aid workers, are frequent in the area.

Advice

Those present in North Kivu are advised to monitor the situation and to maintain contact with their home governments (adhere to any official directives).

More generally, a number of Western governments advise their citizens against travel to the east and northeast of the country due to poor security conditions, including the presence of armed groups and a high risk of kidnapping. Professional security advice should be sought prior to travel.