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ITALY’S ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo was killed today when a United Nations convoy he was travelling in came under fire, the Italian Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
Luca Attanasio was in one of the vehicles of a World Food Programme convoy, which was attacked during a visit near Goma in the east of the country.
Initial reports stated that he died immediately of his wounds. Two other people, including an Italian police officer, were also killed in the ambush.
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio expressed his “great dismay and immense sorrow” and broke off a meeting with EU officials in Brussels to return to Rome.
“The circumstances of this brutal attack are not yet known and no effort will be spared to shed light on what happened,” he said.
It has been suggested that Mr Attanasio was killed during a botched kidnap attempt. Armed groups are known to operate in the volatile border area close to the scene of the attack.