A statement released by the justice ministry on Monday indicated that police were among a group of individuals who raided the site in an attempt to "oust" a French diplomat.
Diplomatic sources told the media that during the scuffle, an embassy cultural cooperation diplomat was struck and held for nearly three hours, while two other diplomats were "shoved around but not wounded."
The justice ministry stated that police officers and officials from the prosecutor's office involved in the assault on Saturday, August 24, 2024, have been apprehended.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Therese Wagner Kayikwamba expressed "deep regret" over the incident, which she said "violated international conventions."
Meanwhile, France's ambassador, Bruno Aubert, reportedly met with President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday to discuss the matter.
"We discussed this situation and the measures that will be taken, some already, by the Congolese authorities to ensure such an incident does not happen again," Aubert was quoted as saying in a statement released by Kayikwamba's office.
The ownership of the site where the incident occurred has been contested for many years. The French embassy has occupied the site since 1972, and last year, a court ruled in favor of France in the dispute.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/three-french-diplomats-assaulted-by-police-in-dr-congo
