- Transport ministry says 13 passengers, four crew members die in crash.
- High military court chief, armed forces auditor general among victims.
- President Felix Tshisekedi orders investigation into deadly crash.
An air crash in the southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo killed 17 people, including two of the country’s most senior military justice officials, the transport ministry said Saturday.
A small plane carrying a delegation of military justice officials crashed at around 1300 GMT on Friday near Kenge, in Kwango province, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of the capital Kinshasa.
The aircraft, a Let 410 UVP light plane operated by Tracep Congo Aviation, was returning from a service mission to Kikwit in neighbouring Kwilu province, according to the armed forces.
The transport ministry said 13 passengers and four crew members were killed.
The two senior officials were Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo, first president of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Lucien-Rene Likulia, the armed forces’ auditor general.
Likulia had been involved in the prosecution of former president Joseph Kabila, who was tried in absentia by the High Military Court in 2025.
In August 2025, Likulia requested the death penalty for Kabila over charges including war crimes, treason and organising an insurrection.
Kabila was subsequently sentenced to death in absentia in September 2025.
President Felix Tshisekedi has ordered an investigation into the crash.
The authorities have not yet established the cause of the accident.
Air transport plays an important role in the vast country, where the road network is often in poor condition.
But flying also carries risks, with some airports and navigation equipment in similarly poor condition.
2026-09-27 01:17:00
