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| Two British tourists kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo | Two British tourists kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Two British citizens have been kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the foreign office has said. | Two British citizens have been kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the foreign office has said. |
| The man and woman were reportedly abducted on Friday while visiting the Virunga National Park, a renowned gorilla sanctuary in the east of the country. | The man and woman were reportedly abducted on Friday while visiting the Virunga National Park, a renowned gorilla sanctuary in the east of the country. |
| A female park ranger travelling with the pair was killed, local media reported. | A female park ranger travelling with the pair was killed, local media reported. |
| The park has seen rising violence in recent months, with armed gangs using weapons to steal resources, in particular charcoal. | The park has seen rising violence in recent months, with armed gangs using weapons to steal resources, in particular charcoal. |
| DRC is still recovering from a bloody civil war that raged between 1997 and 2003, and the recent surge in violence has concerned aid agencies, who warned the country was “on a cliff edge”. | |
| Last month, five rangers and a driver were killed in a militia ambush, the park said. | Last month, five rangers and a driver were killed in a militia ambush, the park said. |
| It was the deadliest attack in recent years and took the total number of rangers killed to 175. | It was the deadliest attack in recent years and took the total number of rangers killed to 175. |
| The rising death toll has earned the park, which is a Unesco world heritage site, a reputation as one of the most dangerous conservation projects on the planet. | The rising death toll has earned the park, which is a Unesco world heritage site, a reputation as one of the most dangerous conservation projects on the planet. |
| The park spans 3,000 square miles n the DRC’s border with Uganda and Rwanda and is home to to around a quarter of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas and other endangered species as well as lions, elephants, hippos and a host of rare bird species. | |
| Last year, a fifth of the park’s southern sector was deforested owing to illegal charcoal production, the park said. | Last year, a fifth of the park’s southern sector was deforested owing to illegal charcoal production, the park said. |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in close contact with the authorities in Democratic Republic of the Congo following an incident involving two British nationals, and our staff are providing support to their families.” | A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in close contact with the authorities in Democratic Republic of the Congo following an incident involving two British nationals, and our staff are providing support to their families.” |
| Press Association contributed to this report | Press Association contributed to this report |