Kenya-DRC Diplomatic Tensions: Unraveling the Investigation into Airline Employees’ Detention and Gold Smuggling Allegations
A collaborative team composed of detectives from DCI Transnational Organised Crime and Interpol has initiated an investigation into the case of two Kenya Airways (KQ) employees who have been held since February 19, 2024, by the Congolese Military Intelligence Unit Militaire des Activities Anti Patrie (DEMIAP).
This situation has escalated tensions between Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which already share a strained relationship. Gossipa2z.com reports there are suspicions of gold smuggling from the resource-rich country, potentially exposing some undisclosed details of the situation.
The airline’s staff were apprehended due to allegedly incomplete customs paperwork for a valuable shipment. Despite a military court ordering their release, the individuals remain in custody, worsening the situation.
Initially, the airline announced the cargo wasn’t accepted or lifted by KQ due to missing paperwork and stated the employees were detained unlawfully.
“The cargo was in the baggage area being processed when security personnel arrived and accused KQ of transporting goods without customs clearance,” the announcement noted, mentioning that explanations to the military officers that KQ had not accepted the cargo due to incomplete paperwork were ineffective.
Cash
Gossipa2z.com has discovered that the detainees, a Kenyan and a Congolese national, were detained due to their involvement in an attempt to export $8 million (Sh1billion) in banknotes, supposedly not fit for circulation.
The funds were headed to the reserve federal office in New York but were seized by Congolese security forces at N’djili International Airport, allegedly hidden in crates.
It is suspected that the cash was meant to fund rebel groups in the country.
Gold Smuggling Operation
Gossipa2z.com has also uncovered an ongoing probe by the DCI and Interpol into a gold smuggling network involving the detained workers.
Detectives familiar with the developments in Kinshasa report that military intelligence in Kinshasa has also interrogated the two employees over the movement of three tonnes of gold at various times, which were transported to Kenya and then the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These movements reportedly occurred in November 2023 without proper documentation.
The shipment is reported to have vanished at JKIA customs with the involvement of a sophisticated team of agents and senior staff from a reputable humanitarian organization. Aviation personnel have been implicated in the disappearance of the goods.
Consequently, security forces, including intelligence officers and Interpol, have been sent to the UAE to locate the smuggled items, suspected to be funding rebel groups (such as M23 and the Alliance Fleuve Congo Group) in the DRC. Sources suggest that shady buyers facilitated the disappearance of the cargo and visited Kenya at some point. These cartels mainly operate in the UAE and have significant connections.
Reports indicate that the Kenyan Foreign Affairs Ministry stated the Kenyan delegation sent to DRC will negotiate the release of the detained KQ employees while Kenyan investigators will assist in investigating the missing cargo from Nairobi.
Korir Sing’oei, principal secretary at Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry, reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad and said the government is actively engaged in the situation.
Suspension of Flights to Kinshasa
Kenya Airways announced the suspension of its flights to Kinshasa starting April 30, 2024, reflecting heightened diplomatic tensions.
This decision is due to unresolved issues concerning the detention of the two airline employees. The airline decided to halt flights to Kinshasa as its operations were adversely affected by a lack of sufficient support.
In its statement, Kenya Airways cited the ongoing detention and the wider geopolitical challenges as reasons for suspending flights. “Our employees’ safety and well-being are crucial, and the current diplomatic situation has made operating in Kinshasa challenging,” a spokesperson for Kenya Airways said.
The situation coincides with increasing regional tensions, particularly due to the creation of a contentious Congolese military alliance in Nairobi that includes the M23 rebel group.
Diplomatic Frictions
The crisis is unfolding amid rising tensions between Kenya and the DRC, following recent political movements. Congolese politicians and groups, including the M23 rebels, launched the Congo River Alliance in Nairobi, aiming to unify various Congolese armed groups and political entities. The inclusion of the M23 rebels, who are active in eastern DRC and have been associated with territorial conflicts, has heightened tensions.
The DRC’s recall of its ambassador from Kenya underscores the seriousness of the diplomatic divide. Alain Tshibanda, the DRC’s foreign ministry spokesperson, announced the recall on social media platform X, stressing the controversial nature of the newly formed military alliance hosted by Kenya.
As the situation unfolds, regional stakeholders are monitoring its impact on diplomatic and economic relations within the East African Community. Kenya Airways plans to observe the situation closely and resume flights when conditions improve.
Meanwhile, at least 12 people, including children, have died in twin bombings that targeted two displaced persons camps in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to government officials, the United Nations, and an aid group.
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The blasts occurred on Friday at the Lac Vert and Mugunga camps, near the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, the UN stated.
The attacks, which injured at least 20 people, were “a blatant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime,” the UN said.
Both the Congolese military and the United States accused neighboring Rwanda’s military and the M23 rebel group of carrying out the attacks.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Rwanda to end its support for M23 during a joint press conference with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in Paris.
Since violence erupted in 1996, approximately six million people have died, with about seven million people displaced, many beyond the reach of aid.
Kenya-DRC Diplomatic Tensions: Unraveling the Investigation into Airline Employees’ Detention and Gold Smuggling Allegations