Congo student dies at cement plant in Abkhazia, family doubts it was accident
African student dies in Abkhazia
Developments are unfolding in Abkhazia following the tragic death of a student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was studying in Russia and had travelled to Abkhazia for work.
Jeremy Mekanda was working as a labourer at a cement plant in the town of Ochamchira.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia said the death was the result of an industrial accident, citing “lacerations and head bruising with damage to the skull bones and brain tissue” as the cause.
Some local media have gone further, claiming he was “effectively decapitated”.
It later emerged that Mekanda died on 24 December, but the case became public only now, after his relatives and friends began staging protests in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The family says the death may have been violent and is demanding an independent investigation and financial compensation.
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According to local media reports, Jeremy Mekanda was studying marketing at a university in the Russian city of Bryansk. After his visa expired, he travelled to Abkhazia to begin the process of obtaining a new one.
This practice is fairly common among African students studying in Russia. Returning home is often too expensive, so they choose to wait for their visas in countries neighbouring Russia. Abkhazia has become a relatively popular destination in such cases.
The waiting period for a visa typically stretches over several months. During this time, foreign students arriving in Abkhazia usually find work — on construction sites, in restaurants and cafés, or as taxi drivers.
Mekanda took a job at the Ochamchira cement plant. The plant belongs to United Cement Group (UCG), one of the largest cement holdings in Central Asia, with operations in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The Abkhazia plant is not listed among UCG’s production sites on the company’s official website. Nevertheless, it exists and is operational.
Mekanda’s family says that regardless of the cause of his death, it occurred during his work shift and on company premises. They argue that the owning company is therefore obliged to pay financial compensation.
Abkhaz authorities have so far not commented on the incident. The family is raising funds to transport Mekanda’s body back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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