Italian Ambassador Luca Attanasio’s 2021 Congo Ambush Still Unresolved, Family Demands Truth

On 22 February 2021 a convoy escorting Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio was ambushed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The attack killed the ambassador, carabiniere Dario Iacovacci, and World Food Programme driver Mustapha Milambo. Five years later, Attanasio’s family, represented by his brother Dario Iacovacci, continues to press the Italian state for answers. President Sergio Mattarella met the family, expressing solidarity, but the investigation remains stalled. Lawyers for the victims have filed motions with the Rome prosecutor’s office and the International Criminal Court, warning that the case could be archived without further action. The family alleges that officials of the United Nations mission have not been held accountable, and they call for a full truth and justice for the victims of the Congo ambush.