Central African Republic: release of Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga after being kidnapped overnight
The Archbishop of Bangui, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, was appointed a cardinal by the pope in November 2016. TIZIANA FABI / AFP
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Great concern, in the Central African Republic, this Saturday morning, around the fate of Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, kidnapped in the night from Friday to Saturday, March 18, then released this morning around 7:00 am. On a pastoral visit to Haute-Kotto, the cardinal was kidnapped in the locality of Ouadda that night, around 1:00 a.m., by armed men demanding a ransom for his release.
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The Cardinal was kidnapped by armed men. They could be the rebels of the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), according to several sources. The abduction took place in the town of Ouadda, Haute Kotto, about 800 kilometres north-east of Bangui.
With him, there were several members of a delegation, on a pastoral tour, including the bishop of Bambari and the parish priest of Bria. All were apprehended at the exit of Ouadda, when taking the road to reach Ouanda Djallé, a hundred kilometers away. The cardinal was expected there to lay the foundation stone of a church.
According to concordant sources, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 5 million FCFA in exchange for the release of the Cardinal. According to local sources, it was MINUSCA's negotiations with the armed group that led to his release. Residents of Ouanda Djallé are also said to have "pressured" in this direction.
In Bangui, this Saturday morning, Felix Moloua, Central African Prime Minister, said in a statement "closely follow the situation". For now, he said, Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga would "continue his mission" in the northeast of the Central African Republic.
" READ ALSO – Central African Republic: the rebels of the CPC take the locality of Sikikede
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