Italian ambassador, 2 others, killed after gunmen ambush convoy in Congo

Category: Top Stories

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. ambassador / æmˈbæs ə dər / (n.) – a government official who represents his/her country while living in another country
    Example:

    I met the Spanish ambassador to Turkey last night!


  2. convoy / ˈkɒn vɔɪ / (n.) – a group of vehicles traveling together, especially for protection
    Example:

    Traffic stopped for a few minutes as the president’s convoy passed by.


  3. kidnap / ˈkɪd næp / (v.) – to illegally take someone and keep him/her as a prisoner, often to demand money in exchange for the person’s release
    Example:

    The politician’s daughter was kidnapped on her way home from school.


  4. ambush / ˈæm bʊʃ / (n.) – the act of hiding and waiting before suddenly attacking a person or a group
    Example:

    Two soldiers were killed in an ambush.


  5. myriad / ˈmɪr i əd / (adj.) – large in number or variety
    Example:

    This shop sells myriad flavors of ice cream.


Article

Read the text below.

The Italian ambassador to Congo, an Italian Carabinieri police officer and their Congolese driver were killed Feb. 22 when gunmen attacked a U.N. convoy traveling to a school in eastern Congo, the Italian Foreign Ministry and residents said.


Luca Attanasio, who had served at the Italian embassy in the country since 2017, was killed along with Carabinieri officer Vittorio Iacovacci and their driver Moustapha Milambo, officials said. Other members of the convoy were wounded and taken to a hospital, the World Food Program said.


Congo’s interior ministry said four others in the convoy were kidnapped, but one person has since been found by Congo’s army.


The ambush occurred as the convoy was traveling from Goma, Congo’s eastern regional capital, to visit a WFP school project in Rutshuru, the U.N. agency said.


The WFP said the attack occurred on a road that had been cleared previously for travel without security escorts. Eastern Congo is home to myriad rebel groups all vying for control of the mineral-rich Central African nation. (AP)


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • In general, do you think being an ambassador is a dangerous position? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If you could be the ambassador to any country, which country would you choose? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The attack occurred on a road that had been previously cleared for travel without security escorts. Do you think more could have been done to prevent this ambush? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Would you be willing to travel to a country that has frequent ambushes by rebel groups? Why or why not? Discuss.