Cameroon Rescues 16 Hostages Including a Polish Priest
Cameroon's military has freed 16 hostages, including a Polish priest, captured by rebels from the Central African Republic.
Fifteen of the hostages were Cameroonians abducted in September and October in Eastern Cameroon and the sixteenth was a Polish priest, Mateusz Dziedzic, who was kidnapped last month in Central African Republic.
Cameroon's government did not name the group responsible.
However, Mr Dziedzic is said to have been captured by the Democratic Front of the Central African Republic, which had been demanding the release of their leader, Abdoulaye Miskine.
The group had hoped to exchange Mr Dzjedzic for Mr Miskine.
Cameroon's President, Paul Biya thanked those involved in the rescue, including President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville and mediator in the Central African Republic crisis.
BBC
Polish priest freed after being abducted in Central African Republic
NOV 27, 2014
WARSAW – A Polish missionary who was abducted by armed rebels in the Central African Republic last month has been freed and is doing well, Poland’s foreign ministry said Wednesday.
“Father Mateusz Dziedzic has been released. His condition isn’t perfect but he’s feeling fine and there is no threat to his life,” ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski told reporters.
The Roman Catholic priest was freed after negotiations involving several countries and international organizations, Wojciechowski said.
He singled out the role of France, the CAR’s former colonial power, which has peacekeepers deployed to the country in a bid to stem ethnic and sectarian violence.
The priest had been living in Baboua, in western CAR, when he was kidnapped by armed men in mid-October.
The men said they wanted to trade him for one of their leaders detained in neighboring Cameroon, according to the Polish branch of the Vatican’s Pontifical Mission Societies.
The branch said at the time that the kidnappers were working for rebel leader Abdoulaye Miskine — a former ally of the Seleka, a mainly Muslim rebel coalition that held power in Bangui from March to December 2013.
Miskine was arrested last year on the border between Cameroon and the CAR and detained in Cameroon.
His group had been involved in kidnappings and in May the United States imposed sanctions on him and four others from the Central African Republic.
 |
Fifteen of the hostages were Cameroonians abducted in September and October in Eastern Cameroon and the sixteenth was a Polish priest, Mateusz Dziedzic, who was kidnapped last month in Central African Republic.
Cameroon's government did not name the group responsible.
However, Mr Dziedzic is said to have been captured by the Democratic Front of the Central African Republic, which had been demanding the release of their leader, Abdoulaye Miskine.
The group had hoped to exchange Mr Dzjedzic for Mr Miskine.
Cameroon's President, Paul Biya thanked those involved in the rescue, including President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville and mediator in the Central African Republic crisis.
BBC
Polish priest freed after being abducted in Central African Republic
NOV 27, 2014
WARSAW – A Polish missionary who was abducted by armed rebels in the Central African Republic last month has been freed and is doing well, Poland’s foreign ministry said Wednesday.
“Father Mateusz Dziedzic has been released. His condition isn’t perfect but he’s feeling fine and there is no threat to his life,” ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski told reporters.
The Roman Catholic priest was freed after negotiations involving several countries and international organizations, Wojciechowski said.
He singled out the role of France, the CAR’s former colonial power, which has peacekeepers deployed to the country in a bid to stem ethnic and sectarian violence.
The priest had been living in Baboua, in western CAR, when he was kidnapped by armed men in mid-October.
The men said they wanted to trade him for one of their leaders detained in neighboring Cameroon, according to the Polish branch of the Vatican’s Pontifical Mission Societies.
The branch said at the time that the kidnappers were working for rebel leader Abdoulaye Miskine — a former ally of the Seleka, a mainly Muslim rebel coalition that held power in Bangui from March to December 2013.
Miskine was arrested last year on the border between Cameroon and the CAR and detained in Cameroon.
His group had been involved in kidnappings and in May the United States imposed sanctions on him and four others from the Central African Republic.
No comments:
Post a Comment