DRC armed forces rescue 38 hostages from rebels

KAMPALA, Uganda

Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo have rescued 38 people recently taken hostage by Ugandan ADF rebels, a military spokesman said Monday.

According to Lieutenant Anthony Mualushayi, a spokesman for the army in the Sokola area, 22 women and 16 men were freed in ongoing operations against the rebels.

“While the ADF rebels attempted to cross national road number 4 in Kisiki village, they fell into our ambush. We overpowered them, and they fled in disarray. We rescued a total of 38 hostages taken recently by ADF rebels from the Oicha region in North Kivu province,” Mualushayi said.

He said the rebels were reportedly moving to the Mayimoya region in Beni territory when they were hit by the army.

Mualushayi said the former hostages are currently in the hands of the army and will be interviewed before being taken back to their villages, where they will be handed to their families.

A senior resident in the area who heads the Beni civil society appreciated the army for rescuing the hostages.

“I thank our army for rescuing the hostages from the rebels. They deserve praise for the good work done,” he said.

The ADF rebels originated from Uganda in the 1990s with the intention of overthrowing the regime there. When they were overpowered by the Ugandan army, they fled into forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from where they attack villages.