DR Congo colonel arrested in connection with UN monitor killings

A Congolese army colonel was arrested in connection with the killing of two U.N. sanctions monitors, a prosecutor said – the first member of the security services detained over the case.

Swede Zaida Catalan and Michael Sharp, an American, were killed in March 2017 while investigating reports of atrocities during an armed conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kasai region between government forces and the Kamuina Nsapu militia.

Congolese authorities initially blamed the militia, arrested about two dozen alleged fighters and charged them with involvement in the killings. Government later said it could not exclude the possibility state agents were involved.

Timothee Mukuntu, the prosecutor overseeing the case, told Reuters Colonel Jean de Dieu Mambweni was arrested but no formal charges had yet been filed.

Calls to Mambweni’s phone did not connect and it was not immediately clear if he was represented by a lawyer. He previously denied any role in Sharp and Catalan’s deaths.

The prosecutor said Mambweni was arrested after a session in the trial of some of the arrested militia members on Thursday.

RECORDING

Defence lawyers at the hearing in Kananga said prosecutors played an audio recording of what they said was the colonel meeting the UN monitors at his house two days before their deaths.

In the audio recorded by Catalan, Mambweni was heard giving the monitors the number of a translator to use on their mission and then calling the translator himself, two defence lawyers told Reuters.

Mambweni denied in court testimony last month he introduced them to the translator or played any part in the planning of their mission or their deaths.

Defence lawyer Tresor Kabangu said members of his team requested Congo’s interior minister at the time of the killings, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, appear in court to explain negotiations with Kamuina Nsapu representatives.

Shadary is now President Joseph Kabila’s preferred candidate to replace him in a December 23 election. A spokesman for Shadary did not respond immediately to a request for comment.