FÉLIX TSHISEKEDI ON THE ASSASSINATION OF THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR LUCA ATTANASIO

The President of the Republic Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, chaired this Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at the Palace of the Nation, a special Security Council relating to the assassination of the Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio, last Monday with his bodyguard and a Congolese driver from WFP, in the east of the country. In addition to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Minister of Defense, on the government side, the Dg of the Dgm, the Special Advisor to the Head of State in matters of security, all police and military officials linked to the security of the countries have increased their presence.

According to Mrs. Marie Thérèse Tumba Nzeza, who spoke to the press, two important decisions have been taken. First, ambassadors and other representatives of the representations can no longer leave Kinshasa for the interior of the country without informing the head of Congolese diplomacy and the relevant services.

Then, a firm commitment was made to strengthen security in the red zones, that is, parts of the DRC, considered to be at high risk.

The Security Council will therefore do everything possible to find the sponsors of this villainous crime and their intellectual accomplices. The team set up by the local authorities will be reinforced by experts who will come from Kinshasa.

Note that shortly before the Special Security Council, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo went to console the wife of the Italian ambassador, Ms. ZAKIA ATTANASIO and her three daughters, at the family home on Avenue Baudouin in the Commune of Gombe.

Ambassador Luca Attanasio and his aide-de-camp Vittorio Lacovacci received tributes from the Congolese authorities on Tuesday in a sober ceremony unauthorized by the media. The Governor of North Kivu Carly Nzanzu kasivita and the Principal Advisor to the Head of State at the Boshiri diplomatic college gathered in front of the two coffins wrapped in Italian flags exhibited in a tent at the heart of MONUSCO’s military system at their terminal in the Goma international airport.

After laying two wreaths of flowers on behalf of the Congolese Head of State Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the two personalities exchanged a few words with the delegates of the Italian government who had come to ensure the repatriation of their compatriots.

The Provincial Governor delivered his province’s message of condolence to Italian officials.

A large carrier of the Italian Air Force landed in the middle of the day in Goma with a dozen military officers on board.

Visibly moved, Italian delegates opposed any tribute ceremony to the two illustrious missing.

No images were allowed and the location of the remains is not accessible to other provincial civil and military authorities.

The Italian Air Force military plane then took off for Rome.

Today at IC camp a minute of silence was observed in front of the Italian flag at half mast, in memory of the Italian Ambassador Luca Attanasio and Carabiniere Vittorio Iacovacci, killed during a field mission in RDC. At the same time in Italy the State funerals were being held.