Kinshasa:  Six men were given life sentences by a military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the deaths of the Italian ambassador, his bodyguard, and his driver, a lawyer said on Friday.

On February 22, 2021, while travelling from the eastern city of Goma to a World Food Programme project, envoy Luca Attanasio, Italian bodyguard Vittorio Iacovacci, and their Congolese driver Mustapha Milambo were fatally injured.

Five of the individuals given life sentences were already incarcerated, while one was at large and was tried in absentia, according to Italy's Boniface Balamage, who was a lawyer for the country.

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The Italian embassy in Kinshasa tweeted, "On the day when justice took its course, we celebrate the shining example and commitment of Luca, Vittorio, and Moussa.

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Six armed men allegedly stopped the convoy of two cars on the highway, killed Milambo, and took six other passengers with them. As the group was being pursued by the army and park rangers, a firefight broke out, during which the kidnappers shot the two Italians.

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The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a Hutu militia, was then held accountable by the interior ministry of the Congo (FDLR). However, the armed group disclaimed any involvement and denounced the "cowardly assassination." It was not possible to confirm the court ruling with Congolese authorities right away.