GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – Armed attackers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed one aid worker and took two others temporarily hostage after ambushing their convoy on Wednesday, Christian charity World Vision said.
The convoy was returning from a mission to deliver food to vulnerable communities in North Kivu province, which has been plagued by instability and militia violence for over two decades.
“Two of our staff were missing for over 18 hours but are now safely with the larger team awaiting evac (evacuation). We’re thankful for community intervention to secure their release,” World Vision’s director in Congo Anne-Marie Connor told Reuters on Thursday.
Earlier, World Vision reported the killing of one of its workers in the ambush by unidentified assailants. Its statement did not give details on the identity of the victim.
Violence committed by a constellation of more than 100 armed groups has forced over half a million people in the eastern Congo to flee their homes since the start of the year.
(Reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Susan Fenton)
