In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), nearly three months after the assassination of National Deputy Chérubin Okende Senga, the father of the deceased and the widow of the former Minister of Transport and Communications met with Vice Prime Minister for Interior and Security, Peter Kazadi, on Tuesday, September 26th, to inquire about the progress of the investigation.
According to the family’s lawyer, Laurent Onyemba, the meeting went relatively well: “He demonstrated the government’s strong commitment to shedding light on the heinous assassination of Chérubin Okende.”
Beyond a Simple Autopsy
The investigation into the death of the former minister extended beyond a mere autopsy, as revealed by the family’s lawyer. South African experts were involved in the investigations: “In addition to the individual who performed the autopsy, others came to provide critical evidence, such as the vehicle, to trace communications and the vehicle’s route, with the aim of establishing the responsibilities of all parties involved establishing is essential to fundamentally uncover the truth.”
Funeral Delay
Chérubin Okende’s funeral has not taken place yet. However, according to lawyer Laurent Onyemba, rushing to bury him may not be in the best interest of the investigation: “To bury Chérubin today would provide a convenient escape route for the assassin because, should the investigation or autopsy be contested, if the body has been buried, there would be no possibility of exhuming it to restart the investigation.”
Meeting with Félix Tshisekedi
The widow and father of Chérubin Okende expressed their desire to meet with Félix Tshisekedi, the guarantor of the nation, to present what they describe as a fundamental request, with the utmost priority reserved for the Head of State.