Kasai, a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was bereaved by the violent death of the chief prosecutor, magistrate Nkolomonyi, in an ambush perpetrated by highway robbers. The provincial governor confirmed the news and dispatched a team of investigators to the scene.
According to a customary authority close to the scene of the incident, the magistrate had gone to a diamond mine to supervise a team of artisanal diggers. It was there that an argument allegedly broke out between the policemen on duty and the diggers, which allegedly led to the accidental opening of fire by a policeman and the death of the magistrate.
Civil society in Tshikapa, the nearest town to Kasala where the attack took place, denounced the slowness of the intervention of the police, who took a long time to arrive on the scene.
This tragic incident is a reminder of the precarious security situation that prevails in certain parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the eastern provinces where local and foreign armed groups regularly operate. The response of the central authorities often remains insufficient to protect the civilian population and guarantee a climate of security conducive to economic and social development.
This tragedy is also a reminder of the importance of promoting the rule of law and justice in the country, a sine qua non for guaranteeing the security of people and the political and economic stability of the country.