29/03/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 29 March, the European Union expressed its “sincere condolences to the families and friends” of the two investigators from the expert group on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) whose deaths were confirmed by the UN on Tuesday evening “and also to those of their Congolese colleagues”. The two experts, Zaida Catalan from Sweden and Michael Sharp from the United States, and four Congolese colleagues went missing on 12 March in the Kasai. “They were there to investigate human rights violations in the region, and thus helping to restore peace and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The perpetrators must be pursued and brought to justice”, said the European External Action Service spokesperson in a press release. The previous day, the EU, the African Union and the UN had jointly condemned the atrocities being committed in the Kasai provinces (see EUROPE 11756). (AN)