Two Kenya Airways staff members, detained in the Democratic Republic of Congo since late April, have been released, announced a senior Kenyan foreign ministry official and the airline’s CEO on Monday.
The airline’s flights to Congo, which were suspended in late April, will now resume, stated Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka in a press release.
The ordeal began on April 19 when Congo’s military intelligence detained two of the airline’s staff, alleging missing customs documentation for valuable cargo.
Kenya Airways clarified that they hadn’t accepted the cargo due to incomplete paperwork from the shipper.
Despite a court order for their release, the two employees remained detained, prompting Kenya Airways to suspend flights as the situation hindered their operational capabilities.
One of the detained staff members was Kenyan, while the other was Congolese.
“Deeply grateful to inform that Lydia Mbotela, KQ Manager in DRC, has just been released by the authorities in Kinshasa,” announced Korir Sing’oei, Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry principal secretary, via the social media platform X.
Kenya Airways confirmed the release of Mbotela’s Congolese colleague as well.
“Kenya Airways confirms that military authorities in Kinshasa have unconditionally released our two employees…” stated Kilavuka.
As of the time of reporting, Congo’s communication minister, government spokesperson, and military intelligence had not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Kenya Airways had previously expressed cooperation with investigating agencies and government entities in both Congo and Kenya to facilitate a resolution to the matter.
The Republic of Congo’s military released the two Kenya Airways staffers, detained for two weeks in a cargo dispute, announced Kenya’s foreign ministry on Monday.
The detention had prompted Kenya Airways to halt flights to Congo temporarily, but the state-owned airline declared the resumption of flights on Wednesday.
The airline clarified that it rejected the cargo due to inadequate documentation.
The cargo, described as “valuable,” did not meet the necessary paperwork requirements.
Congo’s military apprehended the staffers from the airline’s offices at the primary airport in the capital, Kinshasa.
Although a military court granted the airline’s plea for their release, the military retained custody of them.
Kenya and Congo maintain cordial relations, with Kenya actively participating in U.N.-backed peacekeeping missions in Congo. The Kenyan Embassy in Congo played a pivotal role in negotiating the release of the staffers, as noted by Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Korir Singoei.
Colleagues and embassy officials were granted only a brief interaction with the two released staffers.
Singoei personally met with the family of one of the detained staffers, assuring them of their relative’s safety and fair treatment by Congolese authorities.
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