Community Leader Patrick Katsuva Shot Dead in Beni, Steps From Security Positions

Patrick Katsuva, president of the SOCICO civil society structure in Beni's Mambango neighborhood and head of a community child-protection network, was shot dead around 10pm on the night of Aug 25-26, less than 400 meters from a police squadron position and about 500 meters from a military post — raising local alarm over armed-group infiltration deep inside a security perimeter. Accounts differ on motive: a local official said he was shot while trying to stop armed men entering the neighborhood, while civil society figures say it may have been a targeted killing tied to his activism against insecurity and land seizures. No group has claimed responsibility. Spontaneous protests broke out in Mambango before calm returned by the afternoon of Aug 26.