A popular musician in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed while filming a music video in the conflict-hit eastern town of Goma.
The body of Delphin Katembo Vinywasiki, better known as Delcat Idengo, was found in a street on Thursday, with his head partially covered with blood.
Unconfirmed reports say the artist was shot. It is not clear who was behind the killing.
Idengo, famous for his songs critical of both the government and the rebels, was among hundreds of inmates who escaped from a prison in Goma, after M23 militants seized the city last month.
The east of DR Congo has been engulfed in fighting as armed groups and the army battle it out for control of the mineral-rich region.
The musician had just released a track called Bunduki (meaning “weapon” in Swahili), condemning the rebel occupation in Goma.
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“Justice will be done,” government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya posted on X platform, terming the musician’s killing an “abominable act”. He blamed the M23.
But the M23 pointed the finger at government-aligned forces, calling on them to hand over their weapons.
The killing comes amid growing tension in the area after the Rwanda-backed M23 captured Goma, in a major escalation of the fighting in late January.
Around 2, 900 people have been killed and about 700, 000 others forced from their homes in the recent hostilities, the latest UN figures suggest.
