Park ranger killed in Congo kidnap named
Troops drafted in to find Congo tourists
Park ranger Rachel Katumwa line of duty”. One added: “Her only thought would have been the safety and security of visitors on the convoy.”
The armed forces were drafted in to trace the missing Brits, who were there to see the region’s endangered gorillas.
It has been claimed those responsible are demanding a €160,000 ransom for their safe return.
Last night sources claimed British special forces were preparing a swoop.
DRC army spokesman Major Guillaume Kaiko Ndjike said: “With Virunga National Park being within our zone of action, we have joined the park rangers for search operations.”
It is thought the Maimai militia was responsible for the kidnap, which happened a few hundred yards from an army base. There has been criticism of the troops’ slow response. Local politician Zubaya Faustin said: “More should have been done to support the guards.”
Eastern Congo has been the scene of successive waves of violence over the past 25 years and rebel groups still control large swathes of the territory.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in close contact with the authorities in the DRC following an incident involving two British nationals.”
dan.warburton@trinitymirror.com