Attanasio family opposes closure of investigation into Congo ambush

The family of Italian Ambassador Luca Attanasio has filed a formal opposition to the request to archive the investigation into his 2021 killing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The legal team and family argue that the investigation conducted by the Rome Prosecutor's Office is incomplete, specifically regarding the potential motive behind the attack.

Attanasio was killed in an ambush on February 22, 2021, alongside Carabinieri officer Vittorio Iacovacci and driver Mustapha Milambo. While a military court in Kinshasa previously handed down life sentences to six alleged perpetrators, observers have characterized that trial as a farce.

The current legal challenge focuses on gaps in the Italian inquiry. The family's lawyer, Rocco Curcio, and the Ambassador's father, Salvatore Attanasio, contend that investigators have failed to sufficiently explore whether the assassination was linked to Attanasio's diplomatic functions or Italian national interests in the region. They argue that the investigation must determine if specific entities sought to obstruct or intimidate his diplomatic activities before the case can be closed.