DRC President Reportedly Receives Poisoned Mail, French Investigation Underway

The Congolese presidency received a letter addressed to the head of state containing cyanide, according to the Congolese publication Politico. "It was sent by an international organization based in France," the police said. The Ambassador of France to the Democratic Republic of the Congo was then summoned.

The President of the DRC was reported to have escaped an attempt to poison him with cyanide, Politico reported. The events took place on November 12, but the Congolese media revealed the facts only now.

The suspicious mail arrived at Felix Tshisekedi's office in the capital, Kinshasa. Alerted by the director of the office, police forensic experts recovered the A4 envelope containing a letter and a newspaper. "An odor of an organic compound" was detected inside the newspaper, according to the police report.

The analyses established the presence of cyanide ion, a toxic substance lethal to humans even in small quantities.

Origin of the Letter

According to the police report, the mail came from “an international organization based in France.” The name was not leaked.

"At the moment, we have officially contacted our French partners, because of our good relations, to clarify this matter," a Congolese government official explained.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has summoned the French ambassador to the DRC for discussions, according to the media.

The poisonous letter came as the DRC was trying to repel new attacks by the M23 terrorist group in the east of the country in late October.