Information update on Democratic Republic of Congo security incident
ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has the following updates on the tragic armed attack in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 22 February:
- There are currently three reviews underway, examining the facts surrounding the incident on Monday, 22 February, in which the Italian Ambassador to DRC, Luca Attanasio, his security escort, Vittorio Iacovacci, and WFP driver, Mustapha Milambo, were killed. The reviews are being conducted respectively by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and by the Italian and DRC authorities.
- WFP requested, and is collaborating with, the review that is being carried out by UNDSS, and it has offered its full cooperation with those being carried out by the Italian and DRC authorities.
- WFP welcomes the condemnation of the tragic attack from the United Nations Secretary General and supports his call on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to investigate swiftly this heinous targeting of a United Nations joint field mission and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
- WFP stands with the family, friends and colleagues of all of those who tragically lost their lives in this incident in working towards a swift conclusion of the reviews, so that the facts can be established with transparency and integrity.
- The WFP family continues to mourn all of those lost in this incident, including our friend and colleague, Mustapha Milambo, who was laid to rest in Goma on Tuesday 23 February.
- The four other WFP employees who were involved in the incident are safe and accounted for and are continuing their recovery in Goma.
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