France Investigating Disappearances of Two DR Congo Paralympic Athletes

French judicial authorities are investigating the disappearance of two Paralympic athletes from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mireille Nganga and Emmanuel Grace Mouambako, who recently took part in the Paris Games.

According to the Associated Press, the prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Bobigny confirmed on Thursday.

Prosecutors opened the investigation on Sept. 7, after members of the athletes’ delegation warned authorities of their disappearance two days before.

French publication, Le Parisien reported that shot putter Nganga and Mouambako, a visually impaired sprinter who was accompanied by a guide, went missing on Sept. 5, along with a third person.

The athletes’ suitcases were also gone but their passports remained with the Congolese delegation, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation, who asked to remain anonymous as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the case.

Nganga — who recorded no mark in the seated javelin and shot put competitions — and Mouambako were Congo’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, organizers said.