Two Senior Military Justice Officials Killed in Kenge Plane Crash in DR Congo

Two senior officials of the military justice system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have died in a plane crash in Kenge, the capital of Kwango Province. The victims have been identified as Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalay Tiende, First President of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, Auditor General of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). The FARDC confirmed their deaths following the crash on Friday, September 25. According to the army, the two generals were returning from a service mission in Kikwit, in nei

Two senior officials of the military justice system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have died in a plane crash in Kenge, the capital of Kwango Province. The victims have been identified as Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalay Tiende, First President of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, Auditor General of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). The FARDC confirmed their deaths following the crash on Friday, September 25. According to the army, the two generals were returning from a service mission in Kikwit, in neighbouring Kwilu Province, when the aircraft crashed in Kenge while travelling toward Kinshasa. The aircraft went down in the Manzawu area of Kenge. Local authorities said the aircraft experienced difficulties while flying over Kenge. The pilot reportedly circled the city several times while attempting to find a suitable place to land before the aircraft crashed into a property. Initial reports indicated that no people on the ground were killed. The death toll was initially reported at 13 before provincial authorities later revised it to 17 people. The updated figure includes 13 military personnel, among them the two generals, and four civilians, including a child, according to the vice-governor of Kwango. The crash has also affected the leadership of DRC's military justice system. Lieutenant General Likulia had served as Auditor General of the FARDC before the High Military Court, while Lieutenant General Mutombo was the court's First President. Their deaths come as the military justice system continues to handle a number of major cases involving senior military and political figures. Authorities have launched an investigation into the accident. Security and technical services have been tasked with securing the crash site, preserving evidence and helping identify the victims. An investigative team has been sent to Kenge, while authorities said the aircraft's black box had not yet been recovered at the time of the latest reports. The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. Investigators are expected to establish what happened aboard the aircraft before it went down and determine the circumstances that led to the fatal accident.