Congolese Cyclist Miguel Masaisai Dies in Congo-Brazzaville Accident

Miguel Masaisai, a Congolese cyclist who set out to promote peace by riding from his home city of Goma to Morocco, has died in a road accident in the northern Republic of the Congo. The Congolese sports ministry confirmed the death of 23-year-old Masaisai on Saturday. "It is with deep sorrow and great sadness that the Ministry of Sport and Leisure has learnt of the tragic death of our young and courageous cyclist, Miguel MASAÏSAÏ, which occurred on 18 September 2026," the ministry wrote in a Facebook post. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn Masaisai had set off from his home-town of Goma in eastern DRC on 1 May and was on his way to Rabat in Morocco as part of his "Pedals for Peace" project which he launched in 2025. He was travelling by taxi to have his bicycle repaired when the vehicle was hit by a lorry near Ouesso, on the border between Congo-Brazzaville and Cameroon, on Friday afternoon. The other two passengers and the driver were also killed. From Goma to Cape Town, the young Congolese athlete pedalling for peace Journey for peace and youth "Miguel Masaisai is no more," said Spraya Mwana-Bwato, president of the North Kivu cycling league, who had supported the cyclist's initiatives for almost a decade. "We are all devastated by his death. No one survived the accident." More than 200,000 people followed Masaisai online, where he regularly shared messages promoting peace and youth empowerment. Wearing a cycling jersey, helmet and riding gear in the colours of the DR Congo, he had already cycled from Goma to Cape Town, South Africa , in 2025. His latest challenge was to take him through 17 countries to Rabat. He posted videos of his journey almost every day, sharing messages of courage and tolerance. Speaking to RFI in June last year he said: "I wanted to show the world that in our region, in our country, there isn't only war , we also have very strong, very dynamic young people. "And I want to say to them, use your talent to look for peace, not for war or violence." Respect for a 'national hero' In a premonitory comment, he also told RFI of how dangerous it was sharing roads with massive trucks speeding by with little regard for cyclists. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. His journey came to an end on the 75th day of what he called his "mission" for peace. 'Believing in peace is not naive' say Israeli and Palestinian 'brothers' Tributes to the young man, who was a triathlete, coach and also lifeguard, have been pouring in on social media. "One life, one talent, one future brutally cut short. Respect for this national hero," one message said. Read or Listen to this story on the RFI website. AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need t