An 83-year-old British missionary and his aide were freed approximately 48 hours after being kidnapped by an armed group, according to a statement from his church group on Friday.
The Catholic Mill Hill Missionaries reported that Huub Welters and his aide, Henry Kang, were “brutally taken” on Tuesday in the town of Bambui while heading to a project aimed at constructing classrooms for underprivileged children in the nearby area of Ilung.
“We’re relieved to be able to report the release from captivity this afternoon, Thursday, April 3rd, of Brother Huub Welters MHM and his assistant, Henry Kang.
“They were abducted by armed men on Tuesday April 1st in the Bambui area of North Western Cameroon. Fr Innocent Akum, the local Mill Hill Missionary Superior, sent us the photographs documenting their release. Both were returned safe and sound to Mill Hill House, Bamenda.” The group said in a statement on Thursday.
African Conscience, an NGO that AFP contacted following the abduction of the pair, said that it suspected separatist fighters captured the individuals.
Kidnapping and violence are prevalent in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, which are predominantly inhabited by the country’s English-speaking minority.
Separatists have frequently targeted and murdered civil servants, including educators and elected officials, who are accused of “collaborating” with the French-speaking central government in Yaoundé.
The military and police have been accused of conducting punitive operations against individuals they suspect of harbouring pro-separatist sentiments.
The conflict began in late 2016 when President Paul Biya, who has been in power for 42 years without challenge, harshly suppressed peaceful protests by Anglophones in both regions.
Since the onset of the unrest, at least 6,000 civilians have lost their lives due to actions taken by government forces and separatist fighters, as reported by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Mill Hill missionaries arrived in Uganda in 1895 and have been active in Cameroon since 1922.
