July 20, 2013
Radio Moto
Butembo, Dem. Rep. of the Congo

After nearly two weeks in captivity in the territory of Beni, two women managed to escape from their kidnappers. These two women came into the regional government office in the town of Oicha (territory of Beni) this past Friday.

They claimed that they had been abducted during fighting between the FARDC (The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo/DRC, in French, Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo, the state organisation responsible for defending the DRC) and the Ugandan  rebels ADF/NALU (Allied Democratic Forces/National Army for the Liberation of Uganda) this past June 29 on the Mbau-Kamango road. These women said that they took advantage of  the fact that the rebel woman who was watching them fell asleep. They further said that certain hostages who became tired along the way were killed by their abductors. While in  captivity in the bush, they claim to have met several hostages who had been previously kidnapped. In order to get to the main road the escapees made it to BALIMANI before the FARDC forces based at Eringeti became aware of their absence. According to these women, there are places in the Virunga National Park where the ADF/NALU are supplied by helicopter. It's like a runway, they said. The three priests kidnapped last October are still alive, if one can trust what they say.

The national deputies from North Kivu speak out

With regard to the security situation in North Kivu, the national deputies elected from this province have invited the United Nations forces to begin operations that would put an end to the troubles caused by various militias active in the region. In a statement made public on Friday, July 19, in Kinshasa, they welcomed the work being done by the FARDC on the front lines and encouraged them to complete their work by neutralizing the enemy. In the same statement read by the president of the North Kivu caucus, these representatives expressed their appreciation for the local population's support of loyalist troops and urged them to remain vigilant. These same deputies expressed their hope that the campaign currently being undertaken by the national army would allow the State to regain control of those areas in the hands of armed groups, whether domestic or foreign.