Cherubin Okende, a prominent figure in the Congolese opposition and former government minister, was found dead in his car in Kinshasa on Thursday morning. His body was discovered riddled with bullets, according to Mbazi Kasongo, a leader within Okende's political party, Together for the Republic.

Okende served as the party's spokesman and previously held the position of transport minister before resigning from the ruling party. He joined forces with Moise Katumbi, the president of Together for the Republic and a likely presidential candidate. The circumstances surrounding Okende's death remain unclear, and his body has been transferred to a morgue.

This incident occurs amidst escalating political tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the country approaches presidential elections scheduled for December. The rising friction between President Felix Tshisekedi's ruling party and the opposition has led to the arrest of several opposition members in recent times. Moise Katumbi has publicly labeled the incident an assassination and demanded an independent inquiry into Okende's death.