Although no one has claimed responsibility, the brazen assassination of an Italian diplomat was most likely at the hands of the jihadist Allied Democratic Forces.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio to offer condolences, but also to discuss “other shared priorities, including support for a global coalition to defeat Islamic State.” The Allied Democratic Forces have claimed a “loose affiliation” with the Islamic State.
“Italian Ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo Killed in Ambush Monday,” VOA News, February 22, 2021:
Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed in an attack on a United Nations convoy near the eastern Congolese city of Goma.
The U.N. World Food Program says at least two other people were killed and several more injured in the attack Monday that killed Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio.
A U.N. spokesman told VOA the other two fatalities were an Italian national and a Congolese WFP driver. The spokesman says the attack targeted two WFP vehicles traveling about 25 kilometers northeast of Goma.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
A WFP statement said the delegation was traveling from Goma to visit a WFP school feeding program in Rutshuru when the incident took place. It noted that the attack “occurred on a road that had previously been cleared for travel without security escorts.”
Reuters, citing the Virunga National Park, reports the convoy was attacked near the town of Kanyamahoro as part of a kidnap attempt.
A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the U.N. chief condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families of those killed.
“The secretary-general calls on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate swiftly this heinous targeting of a United Nations joint field mission and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Monday.
He told reporters several rebel groups operate in the area, and it is unclear who the perpetrators were.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio issued a statement expressing his “great dismay and immense sorrow” over the deaths of his compatriots.
“The circumstances of this brutal attack are not yet known and no effort will be spared to shed light on what happened,” Di Maio said.
Monday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Di Maio to express his condolences “for the tragic loss of Ambassador Luca Attanasio and others, who worked to advance democracy, human rights, peace, and opportunity in the DRC.”
Blinken and Di Maio also discussed other shared priorities, including support for a global coalition to defeat Islamic State, and the future of Libya.
U.S. Ambassador to the DRC Mike Hammer tweeted his condolences.
“I am shocked & heartbroken by the killing of my good friend & colleague Ambassador Luca Attanasio,” he wrote. “My deepest condolences to his wife, family & the Italian Embassy team as well as the relatives of those lost in this horrific attack. May Luca’s memory be a blessing. RIP amico mío.”…
Michael Copeland says
“and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush” – Koran 9:5
Goofy says
Nothing out of the ordinary here. We simply had some devout Muslims expressing themselves in accordance with their freedom of religion. No terrorism or anything, just devout Muslims doing what devout Muslims do!
This may be a good occasion to instruct the Bishop of Rome Bergoglio on the finer details of justification in Christianity vs. Islam as preparation for his visit to Iraq:
In Christianity the Christian believer is justified by his faith in the redemptive death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
In Islam this is not acceptable. Muslims cannot be saved by others but must save themselves in acts of self righteousness! The blood shed is not historical and liturgical but is here and now blood of infidel Jews and Christians., If not available the blood of other Muslims will do as long as it is possible to consider these Muslims to be less devout than yourself. That is easy, and you can always claim that they were hypocrites and not that devout after all!
Rumours are that the Bishop of Rome will not get his counterpart to sign his hypocritical agreement. According to Islam you are entitled to lie to further the interest of your religion, so it would be safe for the Bishop’s host to sign and still have his integrity intact. So his refusal, if the rumours are true, can only have one purpose and that is to humiliate the Bishop of Rome.
Ken Johnson says
First Philiip Haney, now the Italian Amassador. Who’s next??
gravenimage says
Democratic Republic of Congo: Italian Ambassador Killed in Ambush, jihadist rebels suspected
……………..
Horrifying–this poor man.
And I was friends at college with Chris Stevens, the US diplomat who was so horribly murdered in Libya.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
J. Christopher Stevens was a highly educated and wonderful man.
Sorry that you lost a friend; sometimes the world seems like a very small and dangerous place…
gravenimage says
Thank you, James.
I am shocked to realize that I have actually lost three people I knew well to Jihad terror.
I also knew journalist Chauncy Bailey and barista Mike Wills, both of whom were murdered here in Oakland by Your Black Muslim Bakery in separate incidents.
Yogi says
Do not to go to this countries, just not …it’s useless to help over there , it’s not going to change anything for better…
Andrew Blackadder says
Pope whatshisface may mention that these cowards have nothing to do with islamic teaching because that hate filled book only teaches peace.
Let the Pope tell us what he thinks of muslims slaughtering Christians EVERY bloody week in Africa, and perhaps he can do this while washing and kissing the feet of African muslims who entered Italy illegally.
What a bloody joke this Pope is and the Vatican in general.
muslims are playing this current Pope as a useful idiot.