19.9.2026
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 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.
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.
“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. RFI
Miguel...