On 14 December 2016 Marcel Tengeneza was returning to his house after having escorted a friend home when he came upon two armed men in military outfits outside his door. Upon his arrival at his home, the two men shot him repeatedly, and he was killed immediately. The two unidentified men were not found following the assassination.

Earlier that day, Marcel Tengeneza had attended a workshop organized by the Council of Elders under the guidance of The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – MONUSCO. The meeting was reportedly scheduled to discuss the security situation in the region, and how the movement of displaced peoples has been impacting local communities. According to Marcel Tengeneza’s colleagues, the human rights defender was targeted for his participation in this meeting.

The family of assassinated human rights defender Marcel Tengeneza continues to call on local authorities in Beni-Butembo for a thorough investigation into his killing in December 2016.

On several occasions, family members of Marcel Tengeneza have approached local authorities in person and by mail to request an update on the investigation of his killing. In contacting local authorities about the case and investigation, they persist in their call for a thorough and impartial investigation. On 11 January 2017, Marcel Tengeneza’s brother filed a complaint at the Military Prosecutor’s Office in Beni. In this complaint, he requested justice to be delivered in the case of his brother’s unidentified assailants, for the investigation to not be delayed, and for the family to be made aware of all developments in the case.

In January, Marcel Tengenza’s wife went to speak with the Military Prosecutor’s Office at Kanyabayonga and while waiting for her meeting, she and her young child were put in a holding cell with two prisoners for two hours. She was obliged to pay a fee to the military personnel who had escorted her to the Military Prosecutor’s Office by motorcycle.