The body of the envoy from Italy to the Democratic Republic of Congo and his bodyguard returned home on Tuesday (23 February), in a country of mourning.
Flags at half-mast in Rome as a sign of respect after the murders of ambassador Luca Attanasio, military police officer Vittorio Iacovacci and Congolese driver Mustapha Milambo – killed in an ambush in the province of North Kivu, Congo.
Congo President Felix Tshisekedi dispatched an envoy with a personal letter to the President of Italy and sent his top diplomatic advisor to assist with local investigations in North Kivu.
But in Goma, the regional capital, Dario Tedesco, a friend of Attanasio, believes that it is important to remember that this is not just an international tragedy, but a family one.
“Actually, I don’t cry much, nor do I cry at all. Yesterday I felt so poor, I lost someone, we lost someone. And above all, to be honest, I was thinking about his wife and three daughters, and that’s a tragedy. You know, it is a tragedy for us.
Tedesco, a volcanologist from the Central African country, had dinner with Attanasio on Sunday night (February 21).
The next day, his friend Iacaovacci and Milambo were killed. Milambo leaves four children behind, according to a Congolese human rights activist.
The victims were part of a United Nations two-vehicle convoy that was on its way to visit a school feeding program in a city north of Goma.
According to the Congo presidency, the attackers stopped the train and killed Milambo.
They were taking passengers away when the army and rangers faced them in a shootout.
The attacker shot Iacovacci; Attanasio was injured in the abdomen.
He died several hours later in a UN peacekeeping hospital.
The Congo Interior Ministry blamed a Hutu militia called the Democratic Force for the Liberation of Rwanda – one of 120 armed groups operating in eastern Congo.
But on Tuesday he denied any involvement and condemned the attack as a “cowardly murder”.
Video transcription
– The body of the envoy from Italy to the Democratic Republic of Congo and his bodyguard returned home on Tuesday to a country of mourning. Flags at half-mast in Rome as a sign of respect after the murders of ambassador Luca Attanasio, military police officer Vittorio Iacovacci and Congolese driver Mustapha Milambo – killed in an ambush in the province of North Kivu in eastern Congo. Congo President Felix Tshisekedi dispatched an envoy with a personal letter to the President of Italy and sent his top diplomatic advisor to assist with local investigations in North Kivu.
But in the regional capital Goma, Dario Tedesco, a friend of Attanasio, believes it is important to remember that this is not only an international tragedy, but also a family one.
DARIO TEDESCO: I don’t actually cry much, nor do I cry at all. Yesterday I felt so, so poor. Yes, I lost someone. We lost someone. And above all, I have to be honest, I was thinking about your wife and three daughters. And that is a tragedy. You know, it’s a tragedy for us.
Tedesco, a volcanologist from the Central African country, had dinner with Attanasio on Sunday night. The next day, his friend Iacovacci and Milambo were killed. Milambo has four children, according to a Congolese human rights activist. The victims were part of a United Nations convoy with two vehicles going to visit a school feeding program in a city north of Goma. According to the Congo presidency, the attackers stopped the train and killed Milambo. They were taking passengers away when the army and rangers faced them in a shootout.
The attackers killed Iacovacci, Attanasio was wounded in the abdomen. He died several hours later in a UN peacekeeping hospital. The Congo Interior Ministry blamed a Hutu militia called the Democratic Force for the liberation of Rwanda, one of 120 armed groups operating in eastern Congo. But on Tuesday, he denied any involvement and condemned the attack as a cowardly murder.