Congo Plane Crash Claims 14 Lives, Including Military Official

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Congolese authorities announced on Friday that the crash, which occurred on a return flight from Kikwit in the southwestern part of the country to the capital, Kinshasa, resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals. Among the victims were Mutombo Katalaï Tinda, the head of the military court, and Bakumi Likulia, the Inspector General of the Armed Forces.

Afumi Ekengé, spokesperson for the Congolese army, stated in a release that in addition to the two officials, 12 members of the accompanying delegation and flight crew also perished in the incident. Local authorities reported that the aircraft experienced a technical malfunction during its return journey, leading to its crash in the Congo region.

Ekengé confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident. Trefon Kink’ei Molumba, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Congo’s Civil Aviation Authority, added that the reason for the crash remains unclear.

The Congolese army has been engaged in ongoing conflict with dozens of rebel groups since last year, following a wave of attacks that led to the capture of important cities by insurgent factions. The M23 rebel group, reportedly supported by Rwanda, is among these organizations operating in eastern Congo.