Kenya Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has condemned the attack on Kenya Embassy and personnel in Kinshasa by rioters protesting the conflict in Eastern DRC.
Mudavadi in a protest statement said the violence, looting, and destruction also targeted Uganda’s Embassy, with planned assaults on the South African, U.S., and Belgian embassies.
Mudavadi, who is also the prime Cabinet Secretary, termed the attack in which the mission was destroyed, the ambassador’s vehicle stolen and other torched, was a “grave violation of international law, and the long-held principle and provision of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, in particular, Article 22 (2) and Article 29.
The provisions state that the premisses of a diplomatic mission and diplomatic agents are inviolable.
“This unfortunate attacks happened in the full glare of DRC security officers who took no action to mitigate the situation,” Mudavadi said.
The PCS noted that he had reached out to his counterpart in DRC, Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, who confirmed the incident and assured measures were being taken to address the situation, including compensation for damages to the embassy.
According to Mudavadi, two Kenyan staff members were forced to flee for safety, despite the DRC’s obligation under international law, including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to protect diplomatic missions and personnel.
“We expect immediate steps to ensure the security of our embassy and its staff,” he said.
