In Congo, rebels report details of Georgian pilot's death

Joseph Osiurauli, a citizen of Georgia, who was taken prisoner in the Congo, died after an attack of government forces on a camp of the rebel grouping, its leader reports. The wife of Joseph Osiurauli called on the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to re-check the information.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in January, military pilot Joseph Osiurauli, the retired Colonel of the Georgian Armed Forces, was taken prisoner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rebels demanded a ransom in the amount of one million US dollars for his release, relatives of Joseph Osiurauli reported.

Bertrand Bishimwa, the leader of a rebel grouping, operating in the territory of the Congo, reported that on March 13-14, Joseph Osiurauli died during an armed clash with the government forces, the "Interfax" reports today with reference to the "Imedi" TV Channel.

According to Bertrand Bishimwa, the rebel grouping did not demand a ransom for the release of the pilot. "The only thing we demanded from the Georgian government is to ensure that after they took him away, they would not give him any opportunity to return to the Congo to take part in the battle actions," the rebels' leader said.

An official from the Georgian MFA has confirmed the above information. According to Nino Osiurauli, the wife of the disappeared pilot, she doubts the reliability of the information about her husband's death and believes that the Georgian MFA should re-check the information from the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and through international organizations, the "Interfax" reports.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.