A Belgian citizen has been arrested in Central African Republic (CAR) by Wagner, a Russian-funded mercenary group.
The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news on Wednesday, first reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.
First information over the incident was received from the Embassy of Cameroon, according to Belgian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wouter Poels. He said that they "are closely monitoring the situation" but declined to make any further comments.
The detainee is an employee of the American NGO 360FHI, as reported by Central African news website Corbeau News Centrafrique (CNC).
The reason for his arrest last Sunday in Zémio was reported to be the lack of identification. His colleagues are cautious about bringing the necessary documents out of fear of also being arrested, CNC added.
Wagner is operating in Zémio, a village near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, to combat the armed group UPC (Unité pour la paix en Centrafrique).
