N’DJAMENA/GENEVA (BNO NEWS) — An expatriate staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was abducted in eastern Chad on Monday, the organization said on Tuesday.

The staff member was abducted by several armed men in the village of Kawa, near the border with Sudan. The staff member was identified as Laurent Maurice, an agronomist, who was in the area to evaluate the most recent harvest. He was abducted in Kawa around 9 p.m. local time, where he was spending the night.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is supporting a primary health-care center in Kawa, with five of his Chadian colleagues.

“The ICRC currently has no indication of who the abductors might be or of their motives,” a statement read. The ICRC said it is in contact with local authorities and other parties to resolve the situation.

Maurice’s family has been informed of the incident and the ICRC has temporarily suspended all its activities in eastern Chad as a result of the abduction.

The ICRC is calling for the rapid and unconditional release of its kidnapped staff member.