UN mission speaks out after Congolese human rights defender is kidnapped
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 31 August 2010 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, UN mission speaks out after Congolese human rights defender is kidnapped, 31 August 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4c7f94d21e.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has expressed deep concern after the apparent abduction of a human rights defender who had spoken out against alleged rights violations by members of the country's military.
Sylvestre Bwira Kyahi, the president of the Civil Society of Masisi, a non-governmental organization (NGO), was last seen on 24 August in the town of Goma, the capital of the troubled North Kivu province in the DRC's east.
Two men in military uniform reportedly forced Mr. Bwira Kyahi to board a military vehicle, the UN peacekeeping mission, known as MONUSCO, said in a press release issued yesterday.
The mission called on Congolese authorities to do everything possible to find Mr. Bwira Kyahi as soon as possible and to "stop the threats, intimidation and other acts of harassment of human rights defenders throughout the entire DRC."
Mr. Bwira Kyahi has been the subject of threats and acts of harassment in the past, especially after he released an open letter late last month in which he accused Government soldiers in the Masisi area of human rights violations and called for their relocation.
