Chantal, hostage MSF, is free

Hurray!  Here is the translation of an article  from yesterday:

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RFI Radio 30 August 2014 :

Democratic Republic of Congo: Chantal, an employee of MSF and hostage for over a year, is finally free.

Chantal, one of four members of Doctors Without Borders held hostage since July 2013 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has regained her freedom after fourteen months in the hands of the Ugandan rebel group ADF-Nalu, an ultra-violent group that has terrorized civilians in North Kivu for several years.

The young nurse, originally from Goma, is currently in the military camp of Beni under the protection of the Congolese army.  However, MSF has still no news of her three colleagues abducted the same day  in Kamango where they were on a mission.

It was around 23 pm Friday night that Chantal's husband heard the news during a brief phone conversation with his wife.  According to the few who have seen her since, Chantal is certainly safe and sound, but thin and still very shocked by her fourteen months in detention.

Benoit Leduc leads the Crisis MSF for the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has been fighting since July 2013 for the release of these four employees.   « The release of Chantal is very, very good news. » he says.  «  In saying this, I do not forget our three other colleagues for whom we have very little news. It is believed that they are being held in separate groups.  So Chantal was not in direct contact with our colleagues when she was released.  Our search continues, and we think of them and their families, but also all the other civilians who have been kidnapped in the region of Beni. »

A military collision facilitated the escape

According to Kinshasa, it was a skirmish between the army and a small group of ADF-Nalu wandering in the forest that allowed this young woman of thirty years old to escape.

Very little information has filtered through concerning the conditions of her detention. « As a nurse, she cared for the rebels.  It was through this that she stayed alive. » says the spokesman of the Congolese government.

Between 600 and 800 civilians, according to sources, are still held by the ADF-Nalu who continue to rage through eastern DRC. Since the launch of the operation Sokola ("Cleansing" in Lingala) in January against the Ugandan rebels, more than 160 people have been released.

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So now, I am scrambling to get everything set up for her return here to Goma, hopefully in a stressless environment.  This is good work!  I will also be spending a lot of time with the families of the 3 men who are still missing, assuring these families that we are continuing our search for them as intensively as before.

Happy, happy, happy!