Ugandan Kidnapped by ‘Armed Militia’ in DRC, Captors Demand Shs 2M Ransom

Police has reported that a Ugandan man was Monday morning kidnapped from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The victim has been identified as Isaya Mbeeta a resident of Munyaga cell, Western Ward, Butogota township in Kanungu district. The incident, according to the Police spokesperson for Kigezi region, Elly Matte, occurred on Monday at around 10am.

Isaya is said to have been in his garden located on the Congo side of the border when he was kidnapped. He had left his home very early in the morning at around 5am.

Police said that the kidnappers were militia armed with a rifle.

“The victim one Isaya Mbeeta of Munyaga cell Western ward Butogota township was allegedly kidnapped at around 10:00 hours from the garden in DRC where he was alone when two militias armed with one rifle emerged from the bush, overpowered him and took him in inside the bush,” Matte said in a statement.

He said that Isaya’s captors demanded a reason of Shs 2 million.

Police said efforts by our forces to get him rescued are being made.

The Eastern part of Congo is known to harbor a number of militia who have in the recent past terrorized the North Kivu province.

In August last year, a Ugandan businessman was kidnapped from Kanungu district by armed men said to have been dressed in Congolese military attire.

The victim, Robert Mugabe was kidnapped on August 3 by four people while he and three other people were driving through Queen Elizabeth national park in Kanungu district.

Armed assailants waylaid a vehicle (Isuzu Canter) in which the four were traveling in the national park and shot at and injured them. The vehicle was carrying fish from Kasese. An unspecified amount of money was also robbed by the armed people.

Mugabe who had been taken to a forest in DRC was later released after his family paid a ransom of USD 7,500 (Shs 28m).