A horrifying plane crash has claimed the lives of two senior Army officers and 38 others in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Taarifa Congo Desk reports.
Lieutenant-General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende Joseph, the First President of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant-General Likulia Bakumi Lucien René, the Auditor General of the Armed Forces instantly perished in a plane crash.
The two General Officers perished in an air accident that occurred this Friday, September 25, 2026, in kienge, upon returning from a service mission carried out in Kikwit, in the Province of Kwilu.
Investigations have been launched in order to determine the real circumstances and exact causes of this accident.
Beyond the human toll, these successive accidents raise questions about the control, certification, maintenance, and oversight of air operators in the DRC.
Meanwhile, it has emerged from a reliable source that before the plane took off, one of the passengers had expressed concerns over the method of refueling that was being used.
Patrick Marengo reportedly alerted his colleagues in their WhatsApp group about the aircraft’s refueling conditions.
He’s been working with Société des entreprises pétrolières congolaises (SEP Congo) Ilebo.
“We wish to inform you that the plane we are about to take from Ilebo to Kinshasa is currently being refueled using a metal barrel,” Marengo wrote in a Whatsapp group.
He added, “This situation concerns us, as it may present certain safety risks.”
According to Vice-Governor Rémy Saki, the plane en route from Kikwit to Kinshasa reportedly made several turns before crashing into a plot of land.
President Félix Tshisekedi has sent condolence messages to families of victims and effectively ordered for a thorough investigation of the horrifying plane crash.
The LET L-410 plane is manufactured in Czechoslovakia in 1970, there were 1,100 units that came off the factory line.
According to Rodriguez Katsuva, this small plane cannot fly beyond 400 km/h and cannot go beyond 1,050 km! So it’s for short distances.
It can carry a maximum of 19 people and 1,700 kg of cargo.
He adds, “through a series of shady deals and corruption, certain companies end up getting the authorizations to fly over the DRC and even securing exclusive contracts with the Congolese army.”
