DR Congo Plane Crash Kills 17, Including Senior Military Justice Officials

A plane crash in the southwest Democratic Republic of Congo killed 17 people, including two of the country’s senior military justice officials, the transport ministry said Saturday.

The small aircraft, 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 was a Let 410 UVP light plane operated by Tracep Congo Aviation. The transport ministry said 13 passengers and four crew members were killed in the crash.

Among those killed were Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo, head of the military high court, and Lieutenant General Lucien-Rene Likulia, the armed forces’ auditor general.

Likulia, who was appointed by President Felix Tshisekedi, had prosecuted former president Joseph Kabila during his September 2025 trial, which was held in his absence. Kabila was convicted and sentenced to death for treason and war crimes.

Air transport is vital in the vast central African nation, where much of the road network is in poor condition. However, air travel also carries risks because some airports and navigation infrastructure remain inadequate.

President Felix Tshisekedi has ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash.