DR Congo army officers killed in plane crash alongside 12 others

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa confirmed the deaths of two senior army officers, Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende and Lieutenant General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, in a plane crash on September 25, 2026, in Kenge. The Let 410 aircraft operated by Tracep Congo Aviation was on a special official mission from Kikwit when it crashed after encountering problems approaching Kenge. A total of 12 other passengers, crew members, and the pilot died in the fire, with the pilot's body found outside the wreckage, indicating he may have tried to jump out. No injuries were reported among residents in the area struck by the aircraft.