An opposition figure and former minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Chérubin Okende, who belonged to the party of presidential candidate Moïse Katumbi, was found dead on Thursday in Kinshasa. His body was riddled with bullets, according to political and official sources.
Okende went to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday, as reported by Moïse Katumbi’s entourage. Since then, his relatives had not heard from him. The same sources revealed that he was discovered dead on Thursday morning inside his car on a major avenue in Kinshasa.
Minister of Communication and government spokesman Patrick Muyaya expressed his shock and horror on Twitter, stating that the government had learned about the “assassination” of Chérubin Okende. He condemned this brutal act and instructed all security services to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind this unacceptable incident.
The incident takes place amidst a highly tense political climate in anticipation of the upcoming elections scheduled for the end of the year.
Chérubin Okende, aged 61, resigned from his position as Minister of Transport in December last year, along with two other ministers who supported Moïse Katumbi.
Moïse Katumbi recently announced his candidacy for the presidential elections, set to take place in December, and his party, “Together for the Republic,” withdrew from the ruling coalition.
President Félix Tshisekedi, who has been in power since January 2019, is seeking re-election.
Till date, over a dozen opponents have declared their intention to run against President Tshisekedi. The primary candidates, including Moïse Katumbi, believe that the electoral authorities are biased and under the influence of the current regime, potentially leading to fraudulent and chaotic elections.