Italy’s ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo died with two others on Monday after an attack on a UN convoy, the Italian foreign ministry said.
The convoy was attacked near the town of Kanyamahoro, in the east of the country, at about 10.15am local time, park authorities and diplomats said.
The assault was part of a kidnap attempt, Virunga National Park told Reuters news agency.
Ambassador Luca Attanasio was moved from the scene of the attack after park rangers intervened, but later died, the park said. An Italian police officer accompanying the ambassador, Vittorio Iacovacci, 30, was also killed, as was a Congolese driver.
Attanasio, 43, had represented Italy in Kinshasa since 2017, the foreign ministry said. He joined the diplomatic service in 2003 and previously served in Switzerland, Morocco and Nigeria.
Italy’s ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo, Luca Attanasio, was killed on Monday, alongside two other men. He was 43 years old. Ansa
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio expressed his “great dismay and immense sorrow”, breaking off a meeting in Brussels with EU counterparts to make an early 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,” Mr Di Maio said. He paid tribute to the Italian victims by describing them as “two servants of the state”.
Many armed groups operate in and around Virunga, which lies along the country’s borders with Rwanda and Uganda. Six rangers were killed there in January.
Politicians across Italy expressed condolences for the ambassador and the police officer.
“The Italian Republic is in mourning for these servants of the state who lost their lives in the fulfilment of their professional duties in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” said Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
New Prime Minister Mario Draghi also expressed his condolences on behalf of the whole Italian government and himself.
EU Commission spokeswoman Babila Massarali said the attack was “extremely worrying, and we are following the situation closely with the EU delegation” in the DRC.
European Council President Charles Michel also tweeted his condolences.
“Shocked by the attack of a convoy and the lost lives, including those of the Italian ambassador and a military man,” he wrote.
“Security and peace must be ensured. We will remain alongside the DRC and its population.”
A general view of the locked entrance to the Level III Indian Field Hospital, where the dead body of Italian Ambassador Luca Attanasio lies, in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Reuters
The resource-rich nation, the size of Western Europe, suffered through a brutal colonial reign before undergoing decades of corrupt dictatorship.
Back-to-back civil wars later drew in neighbouring countries. Many rebel groups have come and gone during the UN mission’s years of operation, at times invading Goma, the capital of the eastern region where the ambassador was killed.
A Congolese girl gestures to peacekeepers from India, serving in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), as they ride on patrol in the town of Kiwanja, Democratic Republic of Congo. Reuters
The election of President Felix Tshisekedi, in January 2019, was DRC’s first peaceful democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960.
He succeeded Joseph Kabila in a disputed election marked by allegations of widespread fraud and suspicions of a backroom deal by Mr Kabila to appoint Mr Tshisekedi over an opposition candidate who, according to leaked electoral data, was the real winner.
The UN peacekeeping mission, known by its acronym Monusco, has been working to reduce its troop presence from about 16,000 at present and transfer its security work to Congolese authorities.
Attanasio was awarded the Nassiriya International Prize for Peace in October 2020 in a ceremony held in a church in southern Italy. The award is named in memory of the 19 Italians, including 12 Carabinieri paramilitary officers, five soldiers and two Italian civilians, killed in the bombing of the Italian military base in the southern Iraqi city in 2003. Nine others were also killed.
Attanasio was cited for "his commitment aimed at safeguarding peace between peoples" and for "having contributed to the realisation of important humanitarian projects, distinguishing himself for altruism, dedication and the spirit of service for people in difficulty", the newspaper La Repubblica reported in its account of the ceremony.
It quoted Attanasio as saying: “All that which we take for granted in Italy isn’t in Congo, where, unfortunately, there are so many problems to resolve.”
He described the role of the ambassador there as “above all to be close to the Italians but also to contribute to achieving peace,” the article said.
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
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The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
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August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
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Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
Manifest cargo
Excess luggage in the hold
Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
