Congo: Italy’s ambassador Luca Attanasio killed in attack – politics

 The  exact circumstances of the attack, which occurred near the city of Goma, are still unclear. Several militias are active in the east of the Congo, the main aim of which is to control the valuable mineral resources.

According to information from diplomatic circles, the convoy came under fire and Attanasio succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards.

According to the agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome confirmed the death of the ambassador and a security officer at noon. Attanasio has been ambassador to the Congo since 2018. According to a senior diplomat in Kinshasa, the ambassador was shot in the stomach and injured. He was therefore taken to a hospital in Goma, where he then died.

 The  Democratic Republic of the Congo has to contend with numerous conflicts, especially in the east of the huge Central African country. According to the UN, more than 2,000 civilians were killed in the fighting last year alone.

A new Ebola outbreak in North Kivu is causing additional problems. According to the provincial government on Sunday, four of six infected people have already died of the infectious disease.