Kenya Airways staff members detained in Congo released, official and airline source say

Two Kenya Airways staff members who were detained in Democratic Republic of Congo in late April have been released, a senior Kenyan foreign ministry official and a source at the airline said on Monday.

Two Kenya Airways staff members who were detained in Democratic Republic of Congo in late April have been released, a senior Kenyan foreign ministry official and a source at the airline said on Monday. Congo's military intelligence detained two of the airline's staff on April 19, allegedly because of missing customs documentation on some valuable cargo. The company said it had not taken possession of the cargo because the shipper's paperwork was incomplete.

The two were detained despite a court order asking for their release, prompting the airline to announce in late April that it would suspend flights to Congo, saying the detention of the employees had made it difficult for the airline to support its flights. One of the staff members was Kenyan, the other Congolese.

"Deeply grateful to inform that Lydia Mbotela, KQ Manager in DRC, has just been released by the authorities in Kinshasa," Korir Sing'oei, Kenya's foreign affairs ministry principal secretary, said on social media platform X. A source at Kenya Airways who did not wish to be named said Mbotela's Congolese colleague had also been released.

Congo's communication minister, the government spokesperson and the military intelligence did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Kenya Airways said last week that it was cooperating with investigating agencies and government entities in Congo and Kenya to ensure the matter was resolved.

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