First entry: Monday, 22 February 2021, 16:20
Italy’s ambassador to the Republic of the Congo, Luca Atanasio, has been killed after a gunman attacked a United Nations convoy in the country. Two more people were killed in the same attack, the Carabinieri police officer accompanying the ambassador and the driver of the vehicle.
“With deep regret, the Foreign Ministry confirms the death in Goma of the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Luca Atanasio, and a military man,” the Italian foreign minister said in a statement.
According to the ministry’s website, 43-year-old Luca Atanasio was in charge of Italy’s mission in Kinshasa since 2017 and became ambassador in 2019.
Dozens of armed groups operate in and around Virunga National Park, which is located along the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Rwanda and Uganda.
The park rangers have been repeatedly attacked. Six people were killed in an ambush last month.
Last Updated: Monday, 22 February 2021, 16:35
#gassed #Italian #Ambassador #Congo
