36 kidnapped in Democratic Republic of Congo's Beni territory

A total of 36 civilians were kidnapped last week in Beni territory in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), according to Kivu civil society groups. "Three civilians were kidnapped on Sunday by armed men in Beni territory within Kivu province," the civil society groups said Tuesday, adding that the "assailants were the Ugandan rebels of the Democratic Allied Forces (DAF) and the Al-Shabaab terrorists who have increased their activities in this part of the country." The Kivu civil society groups said the latest abduction of three people brings the total number of people kidnapped in this region to 36 in the past week. "Our team on the ground has learnt that Al-Shabaab had launched kidnapping and poaching operations in Beni territory," Thomas Mwiti, the head of North Kivu civil society groups, told Xinhua. Mwiti urged the DR Congo armed forces and the UN Mission for Stabilization of Congo to launch operations to track down the DAF rebels and the members of Somalia-based Al-Shabaab, whose appearance in the Central African country was not until recently reported.