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At least 17 people, including senior military officials, were killed after a Congolese army aircraft crashed in the southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as reported by Al Jazeera.
The plane was travelling from Kikwit to the capital Kinshasa on Friday (local time) when it developed a technical fault and attempted to land in Kenge, in Kwango province, according to Al Jazeera. The aircraft crashed into a residential area in Kenge after there was no landing strip available, Kwango Deputy Governor Remy Saki Bokinda was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera. He said the plane caught fire after hitting the ground. Bokinda later informed reporters that the death toll had risen from the initial figure of 13 to 17 after authorities recovered 16 adult bodies and the body of a baby once the fire at the wreckage was brought under control. The Congolese army said two senior military officials were among those killed in the crash Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo, first president of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Lucien-Rene Likulia, the militarys auditor general, as cited by Al Jazeera. Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo expressed grief over the plane crash in Kenge, Kwango Province, and said the accident claimed the lives of senior military officials, including Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende Joseph, First President of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Likulia Bakumi Lucien Ren, Auditor General of the FARDC. He has ordered a thorough investigation into the plane crash in Kenge to determine the exact circumstances and causes of the accident, while extending condolences to the families of the victims and the Armed Forces of the country. In a post on X, the official account of the Presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo shared, "The President of the Republic, Flix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, learned with profound sorrow of the plane crash that occurred on Friday, September 25, 2026, in Kenge, in Kwango Province. According to information provided by the General Staff of the FARDC, this accident claimed the lives in particular of Lieutenant-General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende Joseph, First President of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant-General Likulia Bakumi Lucien Ren, Auditor General of the FARDC, as well as several other members of the delegation and crew. In his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Head of State bows before the memory of all the victims and pays tribute to their commitment in service to the Republic." https://x.com/Presidence_RDC/status/2103619152409715000?s=20 "He has instructed the competent services to conduct a thorough investigation in order to establish the exact circumstances and causes of this accident. In this painful circumstance, the President of the Republic extends his most heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as to all the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He calls on the Congolese Nation to observe a moment of reflection and unity in the face of this trial," the post read. (ANI)
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