Mai Mai Abduct 25 Foreigners

By Emmy Allio At least 25 foreigners, among them 18 Thailand nationals, were on Wednesday abducted by Mai Mai militiamen at Mangina near Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, sources said yesterday. The sources said one American and six other nationals from Eastern Europe were also kidnapped. The incident has led to panic in Butembo, Beni and Mambasa areas of the country. Mangina, 38 kms west of Beni, is a major mining area for columbite-tantalite, commonly known as coltan. It is used in the mobile telephone and missile industry. In March, the Mai Mai clashed with UPDF and CLF forces around Mangina. Uganda military sources yesterday confirmed the incident. A week ago the Mai Mai kidnapped five senior security officials of the Uganda-backed Congolese Liberation Front led by Jean Pierre Bemba. Ends