Masisi statement on the killing of Italian Ambassador to DRC
Sunday, May 23, 2021
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has learnt with dismay the sad news of the killing of the His Excellency Luca Attanasio, Ambassador of Italy to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), his Bodyguard, and Driver, on 22 February 2021, near Goma, in the DRC’s Northern Kivu Province.
What is even more troubling is that the Ambassador was on a mission to assist the local communities in the DRC. SADC condemns in the strongest possible terms this barbaric and heinous act of cowardice. It is our fervent hope that the perpetrators will be quickly arrested and brought to justice.
The rise in defilement and missing persons cases, particularly over the recent festive period, points not merely to a failure of policing, but to a profound and widespread societal crisis. Whilst the Police chief’s plea is rightly directed at parents, the root of this emergency runs deeper, demanding a collective response from every corner of our community. Marathe’s observations paint a picture of neglect with children left alone for...