19 soldiers who were kidnapped by rebels in the Central African Republic in February, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), have been freed.
The gang, which was apprehended during a raid in the country’s north, was expected to arrive in the northern town of Birao before being transported to the capital Bangui, according to an ICRC representative.
Nine Chinese miners were killed in an attack on a gold mine last month, and the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), an alliance of rebel groups, was held responsible.
The Russian mercenary organization Wagner was blamed by the insurgents. The government has hired its fighters to aid in crushing the rebels.