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France 24
France 24
World
NEWS WIRES

Four members of French NGO Christians of the Middle East 'missing in Baghdad'

Jeanne Der Agopian (L), press relations officer, and Benjamin Blanchard, directer general of the French charity, SOS Chretiens d'Orient (Christians of the Middle East) give a press conference in Paris on January 24, 2020, after three French nationals and one Iraqi, have been missing in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. - Four employees of a French Christian NGO, SOS Chretiens d'Orient (Christians of the Middle East) charity, three French nationals and one Iraqi, have been missing in Baghdad since January 20, 2020, the charity announced on January 24, 2020. The four members went missing near the French embassy in the Iraqi capital, the organisation's director Benjamin Blanchard told a press conference in Paris. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) © Thomas Samson / AFP

Four employees of a French Christian NGO, three French nationals and one Iraqi, have been missing in Baghdad since Monday, the charity announced Friday.

The four members of the influential SOS Chretiens d'Orient (Christians of the Middle East) charity went missing near the French embassy in the Iraqi capital, the organisation's director Benjamin Blanchard told a press conference in Paris.

No ransom demand has been received as yet and no group has claimed responsibility for their disappearance, he added.

SOS Chretiens d'Orient has been working with Christians in Iraq since 2014 when Islamic State jihadists overran the province of Mosul, displacing tens of thousands of minority Christians and Yazidis.

It is principally active in the Iraqi Kurdish capital Arbil, where many Christians sought refuge.

The missing team was in Baghdad "to renew their visas and register the association with Iraqi authorities," Blanchard said, adding that they were "experienced staff members who have been working with us for years."

(AFP)

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