Murder of Luca Attanasio

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Killing of Luca Attanasio
Democratic Republic of the Congo (26 provinces) - Nord-Kivu.svg
North Kivu province, the location of the killing
Location North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date22 February 2021
10:15 a.m. (UTC+02:00) [1]
Attack type
 Ambush, attempted kidnapping, mass shooting
Deaths3
Accused FDLR (alleged by DRC, [2] [3] denied by the group [4] [5] )

Luca Attanasio, the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was killed on 22 February 2021 along with two other people when a World Food Programme (WFP) delegation travelling on a field visit was attacked by armed individuals. [6] [7] The two-vehicle convoy with seven people was travelling in the Congolese province of North Kivu, from the province's capital of Goma to a WFP school feeding programme in Rutshuru, a town 70 kilometres north of Goma, on a route that would have taken the vehicles through Virunga National Park. [6] The attack occurred at 10:15 a.m. local time near the townships of Kibumba [8] and Kanyamahoro. [9] The WFP and North Kivu governor Carly Nzanzu said the convoy did not have a security escort at the time of the attack. [10] [11] In 2023, six men were convicted of murder.

Contents

Attack

The convoy carrying Attanasio was travelling on a stretch of National Route 2 in the Virunga National Park when it was stopped by armed gunmen. The attackers killed one person at the scene, identified as Congolese United Nations driver Mustapha Milambo. [6] [9] [12] The other members of the delegation were led into the bush by the armed assailants where an exchange of gunfire ensued. In the exchange of gunfire, Attanasio and his bodyguard, 30-year-old carabiniere Vittorio Iacovacci, were mortally wounded. Others travelling in the convoy were also injured. [10] Attanasio was shot in the abdomen and succumbed to his injuries before arriving at a hospital in Goma. [1] [9] [13]

According to prosecutor Alberto Pioletti, autopsies showed that Attanasio and Iacovacci were killed in a shootout rather than by execution-style murder. [14] The investigation also revealed that the attack was a failed kidnapping rather than an assassination. [15]

International responses

The bodies of Attanasio and Iacovacci were repatriated to Italy via military aircraft, and were met by Prime Minister Mario Draghi in a small ceremony on the tarmac. [16] Draghi asked the United Nations and the World Food Programme to open an investigation into the attack. [17] President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi sent a letter to Attanasio's widow Zakia Seddiki, saying his government had started an investigation in Goma "so that light is shed on these heinous crimes as soon as possible." [18] Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio said "the circumstances of this brutal attack are still unclear and no effort will be spared to shed light on what happened." [19] A group of Italian investigators went to Goma in coordination with a prosecutorial investigation that started in Rome. [18] Several Italian newspapers ran front-page tributes to those who were killed; Turin-based La Stampa ran the headline "Luca and Vittorio. The best of Italy." [18] Pope Francis expressed his sorrow "for the disappearance of these servants of peace and law." [18] Congolese authorities accused the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda of the killing; [3] they denied responsibility and condemned the attack. [5]

Murder of Mwilanya Asani William

On 5 March 2021, Mwilanya Asani William, the attorney who was investigating the deaths of the three men, was murdered by unknown gunmen during an ambush. [20]

Convictions

On 19 January 2022, police in the DRC announced they had arrested six members of a highway robbers' gang suspected of killing Attanasio. [21]

On 7 April 2023, the six men were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. [22]

The lawyers representing the accused claimed that their confessions were extracted through the use of torture. None of the survivors testified before the tribunal. The group also plans to appeal the sentences. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Kivu</span> Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

North Kivu is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population estimate of 8,147,400 as of 2020, it is bordered by Ituri Province to the north, Tshopo Province to the northwest, Maniema Province to the southwest, and South Kivu Province to the south, as well as Uganda and Rwanda to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MONUSCO</span> UN peacekeeping force in Democratic Republic of the Congo

The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or MONUSCO, is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). At the request of the DRC's government, it is withdrawing completely from the country by the end of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goma</span> Provincial capital and city in North Kivu, DR Congo

Goma is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east and Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo. With an approximate area of 75.72 km2 (29.24 sq mi), the city has an estimated population of nearly 2 million people according to the 2022 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda</span> Rebel group in the DR Congo

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is an armed rebel group active in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As an ethnic Hutu group opposed to the ethnic Tutsi influence, the FDLR is one of the last factions of Rwandan rebels active in the Congo. It was founded through an amalgamation of other groups of Rwandan refugees in September 2000, including the former Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALiR), under the leadership of Paul Rwarakabije. It was active during the latter phases of the Second Congo War and the subsequent insurgencies in Kivu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kivu conflict</span> Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Kivu conflict is an umbrella term for a series of protracted armed conflicts in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which have occurred since the end of the Second Congo War. Including neighboring Ituri province, there are more than 120 different armed groups active in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, some of the most active rebel groups include the Allied Democratic Forces, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, the March 23 Movement, and many local Mai Mai militias. In addition to rebel groups and the governmental FARDC troops, a number of national and international organizations have intervened militarily in the conflict, including the United Nations force known as MONUSCO, and an East African Community regional force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Congress for the Defence of the People</span> Congolese militia

The National Congress for the Defence of the People is a political armed militia established by Laurent Nkunda in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2006. The CNDP was engaged in the Kivu conflict, an armed conflict against the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In January 2009, the CNDP split and Nkunda was arrested by the Rwanda government. The remaining CNDP splinter faction, led by Bosco Ntaganda, was planned to be integrated into the national army.

The Congolese Rally for Democracy–Goma was a faction of the Congolese Rally for Democracy, a rebel movement based in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the Second Congo War (1998–2003). After the war, some members of the group continued sporadic fighting in North Kivu. The movement also entered mainstream politics, participating in democratic elections with little success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutshuru Territory</span> Place in North Kivu, DR Congo

Rutshuru Territory is a territory in the North Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with headquarters is the town of Rutshuru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunagana, Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> Place in North Kivu, DR Congo

Bunagana is a small town in Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu Province, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the border with Uganda. It served as the headquarters of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel militia in 2013 and has been occupied by M23 since 13 June 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M23 rebellion</span> 2012–2013 conflict in the DRC

The M23 rebellion was an armed conflict in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), that occurred between the March 23 Movement and government forces between 4 April 2012 and 7 November 2013. It ended when a peace agreement was made among eleven African nations, and the M23 troops surrendered in Uganda. The rebellion was part of continued fighting in the region after the formal end of the Second Congo War in 2003. The conflict reignited in late 2021 after rebel "general" Sultani Makenga and 100 rebel fighters attacked the border town of Bunagana but failed. A few months later, with a much larger force, the rebels of the M23 movement renewed their attack and captured Bunagana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 23 Movement</span> Revolutionary military group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The March 23 Movement, often abbreviated as M23 and also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, is a Congolese rebel military group. Based in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it operates mainly in the province of North Kivu, which borders both Uganda and Rwanda. The M23 rebellion of 2012 to 2013 against the DRC government led to the displacement of large numbers of people. On 20 November 2012, M23 took control of Goma, a provincial capital with a population of a million people, but it was requested to evacuate it by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region because the DRC government had finally agreed to negotiate. In late 2012, Congolese troops, along with UN troops, retook control of Goma, and M23 announced a ceasefire and said that it wanted to resume peace talks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allied Democratic Forces insurgency</span> Islamist insurgency in the DR Congo and Uganda

The Allied Democratic Forces insurgency is an ongoing conflict waged by the Allied Democratic Forces in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, against the governments of those two countries and the MONUSCO. The insurgency began in 1996, intensifying in 2013, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The ADF is known to currently control a number of hidden camps which are home to about 2,000 people; in these camps, the ADF operates as a proto-state with "an internal security service, a prison, health clinics, and an orphanage" as well as schools for boys and girls.

Events in the year 2021 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Attacks were carried out by various armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2021 and 2022. The attacks have killed 629 and injured 321. At least 82 perpetrators were also killed and one injured in these attacks.

Events in the year 2021 in the Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luca Attanasio</span> Italian diplomat (1977–2021)

Luca Attanasio was an Italian diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2017 until his murder there in 2021.

Democratic Republic of the Congo- Italy relations are the current and historical foreign and trade relations between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M23 offensive (2022–present)</span> Conflict in the DR Congo

In late March 2022, the March 23 Movement (M23), supported by Rwanda, launched an offensive in North Kivu against the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and MONUSCO. The fighting displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and caused renewed tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda tensions (2022–present)</span> Ongoing military tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda

Beginning in 2022, tensions heightened between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, marking a significant breakdown in relations between the two countries. Amid this, Rwandan forces have crossed into the DRC multiple times, usually fighting alongside Congolese rebels.

Events of the year 2023 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

References

  1. 1 2 "L'ambassadeur italien en RDC tué dans une attaque : ce que l'on sait". L'Express (in French). 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Per l'ambasciatore ucciso c'è la pista dei guerriglieri del Ruanda". AGI – Agenzia Italiana (in Italian). 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 Mahamba, Fiston; Bujakera, Stanis (22 February 2021). "Italy's envoy to Congo killed in attack on U.N. convoy". Reuters . Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. ↑ ""Ambasciatore e carabiniere uccisi dai rapitori"". Adnkronos (in Italian). 23 February 2021. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  5. 1 2 Kamale, James-Yves; Petesch, Carley (23 February 2021). "Congo, Italy dispatch investigators into ambassador's death". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 15 March 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Specia, Megan; Pianigiani, Gaia (22 February 2021). "Italian Ambassador Among Three Killed in Attack on U.N. Convoy in Congo". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "L'ambasciatore Luca Attanasio e il carabiniere Vittorio Iacovacci uccisi in agguato in Congo. Mattarella: "Lutto per servitori dello Stato"". il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  8. ↑ @MONUSCO (22 February 2021). "L'attaque a eu lieu à Kibumba, à 25 kilomètres au nord-est de Goma, dans la province du Nord-Kivu" (Tweet) (in French) – via Twitter.
  9. 1 2 3 Burke, Jason; Giuffrida, Angela (22 February 2021). "Italian ambassador to DR Congo dies in attack on UN convoy". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Attack on World Food Programme field mission in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo | World Food Programme". www.wfp.org. 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Uaykani, Alain (22 February 2021). "Italian ambassador to DR Congo dies after WFP convoy attacked". Al Jazeera . Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Kelly, Jeremy; Kington, Tom (22 February 2021). "Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio murdered during failed Congolese kidnap". The Times . Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  13. ↑ "Italian ambassador, police officer and driver killed in attack in Congo". CBS News . 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Di Donato, Valentina; Braithwaite, Sharon (25 February 2021). "Italian ambassador died in gunbattle in DRC, not execution, prosecutor says". CNN . Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Italian ambassador murder trial: Life sentences given in DR Congo". BBC News. 8 April 2023. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  16. ↑ Mahamba, Fiston; Holland, Hereward (23 February 2021). "Italy repatriates ambassador and bodyguard killed in Congo". Reuters . Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  17. ↑ D'Emilio, Frances (24 February 2021). "Italy presses UN for answers on envoy's slaying in Congo". Associated Press . Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Pianigiani, Gaia (23 February 2021). "Italy Mourns an Ambassador and His Bodyguard, Killed in Congo". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  19. ↑ Kamale, Jean-Yves; Winfield, Nicole (22 February 2021). "Three killed, including Italian ambassador, in Congo attack". Associated Press . Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Congo, ucciso in un'imboscata il procuratore che indagava sulla morte di Attanasio e Iacovacci". Il Mattino (in Italian). 5 March 2021. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "DRC arrests suspects in Italian ambassador's killing". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  22. ↑ "Congo sentences six to life in prison for Italian envoy's death". Reuters. 7 April 2023. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  23. ↑ Makumeno, Emery (8 April 2023). "Italian ambassador murder trial: Life sentences given in DR Congo". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
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