Congolese Military Plane Crash in Kenge Kills at Least 17 Including Two Generals Returning From Military Mission in Southwest

At least 17 people, including two senior military officials, were killed when a Congolese army plane crashed in Kenge, Kwango province, in the southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo on Friday, September 25, 2026. The plane was traveling to the capital Kinshasa from the southwestern city of Kikwit when it developed a technical fault and attempted to land in Kenge. With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot, said Remy Saki Bokinda, deputy governor of Kwango, adding that the aircraft caught fire after hitting the ground. The deputy governor told reporters on Saturday that the death toll was revised upward to 17 after the fire was brought under control, including 16 adults and one baby. The two senior military officials killed were Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende Joseph, head of the military court, and Lieutenant General Likulia Bakumi Lucien René, auditor general of the armed forces, according to a statement from the Presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo ordered a thorough investigation to determine the exact circumstances and causes of the crash. The crash underscores the persistent aviation safety challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where aircraft accidents occur periodically due to longstanding infrastructure and navigation system deficiencies. The loss of two senior military justice officials will create leadership gaps in the military legal system at a time when the Congolese armed forces are battling scores of rebel groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in the eastern region. The crash into a residential area also highlights the risks to civilian populations when aircraft with technical faults attempt emergency landings in areas lacking proper airstrips.