Congo: Suspected killer of 2 UN workers arrested

By Godfrey Olukya

ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo (AA) - Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) arrested two people suspected to have killed two UN workers in Kasai region in March, but one of them escaped, the army's top prosecutor said Friday.

''We have arrested two people suspected to have connections with killing the two UN workers,'' General Joseph Ponde said in a statement, adding one of the suspects had escaped and four policemen who were guarding him had been arrested.

He identified the suspect under custody as Daniel Mbayi Kabasele, whom he referred to as an "insurgent".

Ponde's statement was the first announcement from the government on the progress of the inquiry into the deaths of Michael Sharp from the U.S. and Zaido Catalan from Sweden, who were kidnapped on March 12 by suspected Kamuina Nsapu militiamen as they were reportedly investigating human rights abuses in the area.

The bodies of the UN workers were discovered in a shallow grave in late March.

Four Congolese nationals -- an interpreter and three motorcycle transport operators who were traveling with the UN workers -- have not yet been found.

Since August 2016 Kasai region has experienced several clashes between Kamuina Nsapu militiamen and police, which resulted in death of hundreds of people.

On April 4, the UN mission in DRC, MONUSCO announced it had discovered 23 mass graves in the area.