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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
DRC: Militia release 5 reporters in exchange for 270 bicycles
KINSHASA, 29 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - Mayi-Mayi militiamen released on Thursday five local reporters they had taken hostage earlier this week in the Democratic Republic of Congo's southern province of Katanga.
"They were released five days after [their seizure) in exchange of 270 bicycles that the Mayi-Mayi stole from MONUC," Alexandre Essome, a spokesman for the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC), said on Friday.
He said the militiamen had seized the reporters in protest at the arrest of their leader, Mbayo Mpiana Mwana Butot, alias Chinja Chinja.
MONUC said the bicycles were supposed to have been exchanged for guns but that operation was suspended after the reporters, covering the exchange, were seized.
It is not immediately clear whether or not, in addition to the release of the reporters, the militiamen gave up their weapons.
[On the Net: DRC: Mayi-Mayi militiamen kidnap 5 journalists as their leader is arrested: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46853
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This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2005
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