Congo Military Plane Crash Kills 14, Including Two Senior Generals (2026-09-26)
At least 14 people died when a Congolese military plane crashed near Kenge, including two lieutenant generals and twelve delegation members and crew.
At least 14 people were killed when a Congolese military aircraft crashed near Kenge, in the southwestern part of the country, the armed forces said on Friday.
Among the dead were two senior officers: Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, who headed the military court, and Lieutenant General Bakumi Likulia, the auditor general of the armed forces.
Major General Efomi Ekenge, a spokesperson for the Congolese military, said in a statement that the two general officers were travelling alongside twelve members of a delegation and crew members, all of whom lost their lives in the accident.
The plane was on its way back to the capital, Kinshasa, from Kikwit when it developed a technical fault and came down in Kenge. Local officials said no one on board survived.
An investigation has been opened to establish what caused the crash, Ekenge said. Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, chairman of the board of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the cause of the accident was not yet known.
The crash comes as the Congolese military continues to fight numerous rebel groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 movement in the eastern part of the country, which has seized key cities in a series of attacks since last year.