Plane crash in Congo: 14 dead, including two senior military officials

At least 14 people, including two senior military officials, have died in a plane crash in Congo, the army said on Friday.

The two senior military officials are Lt. Gen. Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, head of the military court, and Lt. Gen. Bakumi Likulia, auditor general of the armed forces.

“In addition to the two general officers, twelve members of the delegation and crew members also lost their lives in this accident,” Major General Efomi Ekenge, a spokesman for the Congolese army, said in a statement.

The plane was returning to the capital Kinshasa from southwestern Kikwit when it developed a technical problem and crashed in Kenge, killing all on board, according to local officials.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident, Ekenge said.

Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, chairman of the board of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the cause of the crash was unknown.

The Congolese army has been battling multiple rebel groups, including the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group, in the eastern region since last year after blitzkrieg attacks that saw the rebel groups seize key towns.