Beni, DRC: Police in eastern Congo opened fire on mourners during the funeral of Delcat Idengo on Tuesday, killing two people, according to witnesses. Idengo, a popular musician known for his outspoken criticism of both the Congolese government and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, was killed last month, prompting widespread outrage.
Thousands gathered in Beni to pay their last respects, trailing Idengo’s car-shaped coffin through the streets while chanting against the M23 rebels, whom many blame for his death, as well as against the government, which had arrested him multiple times.
M23 has not directly responded to accusations that its fighters were responsible for Idengo’s killing.
Violence erupted in Beni, about 200 km (120 miles) north of Goma, after Idengo was laid to rest. Police reportedly fired on hostile crowds, leaving two people dead.
“The musician Idengo has been buried in the presence of thousands of people. We regret that a few incidents have occurred during his burial,” Beni’s mayor, Jacob Nyofondo Tekodale, told reporters.
Idengo, whose real name was Delphin Katembo, gained a devoted following for his songs criticizing the government. His activism led to multiple arrests, including a 2021 detention for allegedly insulting President Felix Tshisekedi. He was imprisoned again last year during a protest.
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In January, Idengo escaped from Goma’s main prison along with thousands of inmates when M23 forces seized control of the city. Just a day before his death, he released a song titled “Bunduki Za Kwetu” (“Weapons from Home” in Swahili), condemning armed groups like M23.
Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch reported that Idengo was shot by M23 fighters at his home in Goma “in an apparently noncombat situation.” M23 dismissed the report as false but did not directly address whether its fighters were responsible for his killing.
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“We want to bury our hero with dignity,” said Nzanzu Makasi, a fellow musician from eastern Congo.
Rwanda has denied allegations by the United Nations that it supplies M23 with weapons and troops, insisting that its military operations are defensive measures against Congolese forces and allied militias.
