Two soldiers of the Congolese army who had been detained by Rwandan rebel forces in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been released.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it facilitated the release of the two soldiers held by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) in North Kivu.
In its capacity as a neutral intermediary, the Red Cross says both sides had requested it to organize the operation.
The ICRC spoke with each of the two soldiers in private to make sure they were returning of their own free will.
The agency says both were placed in the care of the ICRC by the FDLR in a remote area of Walikale and were taken by helicopter to Goma, the capital of North Kivu, where they were handed over to senior army officers.
According to the Red Cross, the Kivu region remains tense as military operations pitting the Congolese armed forces against the FDLR continue.
It says these operations are taking place against the backdrop of a deteriorating humanitarian situation, resulting in population displacement and violations against civilians and their property.
Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations.
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