DR Congo singer killed while filming video in conflict-hit Goma

A popular musician in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed while filming a music video in the conflict-hit eastern town of Goma.

The body of Delphin Katembo Vinywasiki, better known as Delcat Idengo, was found in a street on Thursday with his head partially covered with blood. Unconfirmed reports say the artist was shot.

Idengo, famous for his songs critical of both the government and the rebels, was among hundreds of inmates who escaped from a prison in Goma, after M23 militants seized the city last month.

The east of DR Congo has been engulfed in fighting as armed groups and the army battle it out for control of the mineral-rich region.

It is not clear who was behind the killing.

The musician had just released a track called Bunduki (meaning “weapon” in Swahili), condemning the rebel occupation in Goma.

“Justice will be done,” government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya posted on X platform, terming the musician’s killing an “abominable act”. He blamed the M23.

But the M23 pointed the finger at government-aligned forces, calling on them to hand over their weapons.

The killing comes amid growing tension in the area after the Rwanda-backed M23 captured Goma, in a major escalation of the fighting in late January.

Around 2,900 people have been killed and about 700,000 others forced from their homes in the recent hostilities, the latest UN figures suggest.

The rebels are now pushing towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu – another key city in the region – despite regional peace efforts to end the conflict.

Idengo’s death has sparked fresh fears in North Kivu as protesters took to the streets of Beni, where he was born, to demand justice.

Videos shared on social media showed the musician’s body lying on the ground after the incident in the Kilijiwe area, in the north of Goma.

According to the witnesses, Idengo, who was wearing military trousers for the video, died on the spot after the attack.

The Congolese ministry of arts and culture described the incident as an “assassination”.

“A committed voice, he carried, through his music, the aspirations and hopes of an entire generation,” the ministry posted on X.

Idengo was awaiting trail after his jailing last year for inciting people to take up arms and force UN peacekeepers to leave the country.

In 2021, he was prosecuted for insulting President Félix Tshisekedi and spreading “false rumours” in one of his songs where he accused the president of not fulfilling his promises. He was sentenced to 10 years, but was later acquitted.

“The nation has lost a patriot committed to national cohesion. I mourn the loss of Idengo. It is high time for this war to end. Humanity above all!” Martin Fayulu, an opposition leader who came third in the 2023 general election, posted on X.

Moïse Katumbi, another opposition figure who came second in the election, condemned Idengo’s killing.

“His murderers, whoever they are, must be quickly identified and very severely condemned,” Katumbi posted on X.