Chérubin Okende, an opposition member of the DR Congo national assembly, was found dead on Thursday, July 13, in Kinshasa.

The body of the former transport minister was found in his car with wounds and his shirt stained in blood, local media reports say. Okende, who was the spokesperson for the opposition party, Ensemble pour la Republic, went missing earlier on Wednesday.

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President Felix Tshisekedi’s office said he "learned with dismay, this morning, of the disappearance in tragic conditions of” Okende.

"The Head of State presents his condolences to the family and loved ones of the Honorable Okende,” the office tweeted.

Tshisekedi urged the judiciary "to shed light on this case in order to punish the culprits of this despicable act.”

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Okende was a senior executive in the party whose leader, Moise Katumbi, declared himself as candidate for the presidential elections due in December 2023.

The incident was a "cowardly kidnapping” that happened on Wednesday afternoon "in the parking area of the Constitutional Court,” the party said on Twitter.

"Our country is getting worse and worse!” the party added.

The Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said Okende’s murder was a "heinous act,” and added that the government "instructed all security services to diligently carry out a thorough investigation.”

DR Congo has seen increasing violence in the lead-up to the December polls.