KANANGA: A DR Congo military tribunal on Monday charged an army colonel with the murder of two UN experts who were killed two years ago while investigating violence in a restive central region.
Authorities had initially said the victims, Zaida Catalan, a Swedish woman, and American Michael Sharp, were killed in March 2017 by “terrorist” militiamen in central Kasai region.
Col. Jean de Dieu Mambweni, who was arrested in December, will face charges including criminal conspiracy and murder as a war crime, court clerk Captain Alain Bosombi told AFP.
“The date of his appearance has not yet been set but it will be soon,” the official said.
The army officer was in charge of relations with civilians in the central Kasai region at the time of the killings.
Prosecutors say he was in telephone contact on the day with one of the main murder suspects.
A UN report described the murder of the two experts as a “premeditated setup” in which state security may have been involved.
Their deaths sent shockwaves through political and diplomatic circles in Kinshasa — especially among aid workers grappling with the country’s entrenched violence and humanitarian crisis.
DR Congo court charges army officer in murder of UN experts
DR Congo court charges army officer in murder of UN experts
- Authorities had initially said the victims, Zaida Catalan, a Swedish woman, and American Michael Sharp, were killed in March 2017 by terrorist militiamen in central Kasai region
- Col. Jean de Dieu Mambweni, who was arrested in December, will face charges including criminal conspiracy and murder as a war crime
