Georgians advised not to travel to Democratic Republic of Congo

Georgian citizens currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) are asked to leave the country immediately and others are advised not to travel there.

A statement to this effect was made by Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Zviad Gonadze today.

Gonadze met with Giorgi Osurauli, brother of Ioseb Osurauli, a Georgian citizen who has been held captive in DR Congo since January. The official updated him with the latest information regarding his brother.

Ioseb Osurauli was captivated in DR Congo by oppositional forces in the country after a plane he was piloting crashed in late January.

"I want to call on Georgian citizens to try not to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As for those who are already there, I urge them to leave the country immediately”, Gonadze said at a joint press conference together with the captivated man’s brother.

He also said that there were rumors as if an attack took place between the opposed parties in DR Congo and Osurauli was killed in the attack but he added this information still has not been confirmed officially by either the DR Congo Government, the United Nations or the Red Cross.

He added Tbilisi is in communication with all of these agencies and organisations and also keeps the Osurauli family updated.

Two Georgian citizens survived the plane accident in DR Congo in January. One of them was detained by the oppositional forces and the other was sent for medical treatment to the town of Goma to have his injuries tended to.

Both of the men are former military personnel who had left Georgia to work in the DR Congo.