Forty-three days have elapsed since the tragic demise of Chérubin Okende, whose lifeless body was discovered on a bustling avenue in the heart of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 13th. As investigations appear to have made minimal headway, Okende’s family took a decisive step on Wednesday, August 23rd, by visiting the Kinshasa-Gombe prosecutor’s office to meet with the lead investigator and assert their right to Chérubin Okende’s remains.
The family’s initial hope was buoyed by the involvement of experts from South Africa, Belgium, and the United Nations, whose collaborative efforts had been anticipated to expedite the inquiry. However, the meeting at the prosecutor’s office on August 23rd, though lengthy, offered little reassurance, as expressed by Laurent Onyemba, the family’s attorney. Standing at the steps of the courthouse, encircled by Okende’s grieving relatives, including his widow, Onyemba remarked, “We assembled as a family to convey to the prosecutor our profound disappointment at the lack of progress in the case.”
He continued, “The family had exerted pressure to ensure the completion of the autopsy. What then justifies the current opacity surrounding the trajectory of the investigation? The family believes that this obscurity conceals an agenda, possibly aimed at wearing down time and collective memory, gradually fading away the heinous assassination of the honorable Chérubin Okende”.
Addressing their growing concerns, the family also appealed for the release of Chérubin Okende’s remains, indicating the necessity for conducting the funeral rites. “Given the creeping doubt that these investigations might be compromised and justice indefinitely delayed, we are compelled to request the release of his body. Forty-three days have elapsed. Honoring Okende’s memory through a proper burial is of paramount importance to us,” asserted Onyemba.
However, the prosecutor’s office maintains that the investigation is proceeding as per standard protocol. “While the expert reports are pending, interviews with witnesses continue unabated, and the technical analysis remains ongoing”, disclosed a source close to the inquiry.
As the family of Chérubin Okende seeks closure and accountability in the wake of this tragic incident, the eyes of both the local community and the international arena remain fixed on the evolving course of this investigation.