Lieutenant-General Magistrate Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, first president of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s High Military Court, died in a plane crash at Kenge on 25 September 2026.
He was returning from an official mission in Kikwit with Lieutenant-General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, the FARDC auditor general, and other members of a military-justice delegation. The Congolese armed forces confirmed both senior officials’ deaths.
Who was Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende? Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende was a Congolese lieutenant-general and senior military magistrate. He led DR Congo’s High Military Court from 2020, served on the bureau of the Superior Council of the Judiciary and presided over nationally important military cases, including former president Joseph Kabila’s 2025 trial in absentia.
What happened in the Kenge plane crash?
Mutombo and Likulia were travelling from Kikwit toward Kinshasa after an official assignment when their aircraft crashed at Kenge. Early official reports gave differing totals for the number of victims, but they consistently identified the two generals among those killed. This profile therefore does not rely on a single early casualty figure.
The precise cause had not been established when this article was prepared. The FARDC announced an investigation, while the Justice Ministry ordered a judicial inquiry. President Félix Tshisekedi also directed an in-depth investigation and paid tribute to the victims. Claims about a technical failure or pilot action remain preliminary.
The government ordered flags to be flown at half-mast from 28 September until the victims’ burial and announced three days of national mourning before the funeral.
His rise to the High Military Court
A presidential ordinance published in the DRC’s Official Journal appointed Major-General Mutombo Katalay Tiende Joseph as first president of the High Military Court in February 2020. A further presidential ordinance in May 2020 listed him among officers appointed in the general-officer category.
The position placed him at the head of the country’s highest military court, which hears appeals and major cases under military jurisdiction.
BIOGRAPHY
Who Was Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende?
Sep 28, 2026
Sep 28, 2026
7 min read
Published
Updated:
Lieutenant-General Magistrate Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, first president of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s High Military Court, died in a plane crash at Kenge on 25 September 2026.
He was returning from an official mission in Kikwit with Lieutenant-General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, the FARDC auditor general, and other members of a military-justice delegation. The Congolese armed forces confirmed both senior officials’ deaths.
Who was Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende? Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende was a Congolese lieutenant-general and senior military magistrate. He led DR Congo’s High Military Court from 2020, served on the bureau of the Superior Council of the Judiciary and presided over nationally important military cases, including former president Joseph Kabila’s 2025 trial in absentia.
What happened in the Kenge plane crash?
Mutombo and Likulia were travelling from Kikwit toward Kinshasa after an official assignment when their aircraft crashed at Kenge. Early official reports gave differing totals for the number of victims, but they consistently identified the two generals among those killed. This profile therefore does not rely on a single early casualty figure.
The precise cause had not been established when this article was prepared. The FARDC announced an investigation, while the Justice Ministry ordered a judicial inquiry. President Félix Tshisekedi also directed an in-depth investigation and paid tribute to the victims. Claims about a technical failure or pilot action remain preliminary.
The government ordered flags to be flown at half-mast from 28 September until the victims’ burial and announced three days of national mourning before the funeral.
His rise to the High Military Court
A presidential ordinance published in the DRC’s Official Journal appointed Major-General Mutombo Katalay Tiende Joseph as first president of the High Military Court in February 2020. A further presidential ordinance in May 2020 listed him among officers appointed in the general-officer category.
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The position placed him at the head of the country’s highest military court, which hears appeals and major cases under military jurisdiction.
He also held a leadership position in the civilian-facing governance of the judiciary. The Superior Council of the Judiciary’s 2025 report identifies him as its second secretary-rapporteur. After the crash, the council said the deaths of Mutombo and Likulia had deprived its bureau of two members.
Major cases and public duties
Mutombo became widely known outside legal circles through the 2025 trial of former president Joseph Kabila. On 30 September 2025, he pronounced the court’s judgment sentencing Kabila to death in absentia on charges linked to alleged support for the AFC/M23 rebellion.
Kabila was not present, and his allies rejected the process as politically motivated. XTRAfrica’s earlier report explains the Kabila judgment and its political significance, while a separate explainer covers the M23 movement and surrounding allegations.
His work also included oversight and institutional development. In April 2022, Mutombo and Likulia travelled to Bunia to assess military-justice administration under the state of siege and to meet provincial officials and civil-society representatives.
In December 2025, he opened a training programme for 40 prospective military-court clerks. The national broadcaster RTNC reported that Mutombo described staffing shortages as a constraint on the courts and stressed technical competence and integrity. At a later military-justice parade, he called on magistrates and court staff to observe professional rules, discipline and lawful orders.
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Why his death matters to Congolese justice
Mutombo’s death removed the head of the High Military Court at a time when the institution was handling politically consequential cases involving senior officers and national security. Likulia’s death in the same crash simultaneously left the military prosecution service without its top official.
That double loss explains why the Presidency, Justice Ministry, FARDC and Superior Council of the Judiciary all issued statements. It also creates a succession challenge for the military-justice system.
Personal and family information
Authoritative public records reviewed for this profile document Mutombo’s official career but do not establish his marital status, name a spouse or identify any children. Condolence reports referred generally to his family without supplying verifiable details. XTRAfrica does not infer private family facts from photographs, social posts or unsourced biography pages.
Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende timeline
Year | Event | Significance |
2020 | Appointed first president of the High Military Court | Placed him at the head of DR Congo’s highest military tribunal |
2022 | Led a military-justice assessment mission to Bunia | Reviewed court administration during the state of siege |
2025 | Served as second secretary-rapporteur of the Superior Council of the Judiciary | Gave him a senior role in national judicial governance |
2025 | Presided over Joseph Kabila’s trial in absentia | Brought him into one of the country’s most consequential political and military cases |
2025 | Opened training for 40 prospective military-court clerks | Highlighted his focus on staffing, competence and institutional discipline |
2026 | Died in the Kenge plane crash | Created a leadership gap at the top of the military judiciary |
Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende FAQs
Who was Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende?
He was a Congolese lieutenant-general, military magistrate and first president of the High Military Court.
What position did Joseph Mutombo hold?
He led DR Congo’s High Military Court and also served as second secretary-rapporteur of the Superior Council of the Judiciary.
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When did Joseph Mutombo become head of the High Military Court?
A February 2020 presidential ordinance appointed him first president of the court.
What was his role in Joseph Kabila’s trial?
Mutombo presided over the High Military Court panel and pronounced its September 2025 judgment sentencing Kabila to death in absentia. Kabila’s allies disputed the case as politically motivated.
How did Joseph Mutombo die?
He died on 25 September 2026 when an aircraft carrying a military-justice delegation crashed at Kenge while returning from Kikwit. Investigations were still determining the cause.
Who else died in the crash?
Lieutenant-General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, the FARDC auditor general, was also killed, along with other delegation members and crew. Early official casualty totals varied.
Was Joseph Mutombo married?
His marital status was not established by the authoritative public sources reviewed for this profile.
What happens next after his death?
Congolese authorities must manage succession at the High Military Court while aviation and judicial investigators establish the circumstances of the crash.
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