Jean Plicque

Jean Plicque (1930 - 1964) was a French community development specialist who was murdered in the Democratic Republic of Congo by rebel forces in the midst of the Congo Crisis. At the time, Plicque was working for the International Labour Organization. He was posthumously awarded the Nansen Refugee Award in 1964.

Career The son of two teachers, Plicque was an expert in rural community development and was the head of the Bukavu office of the International Labour Organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Death On August 17, 1964, Plicque joined United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official Francois Preziosi on a trip to Kalehe to visit Tutsi refugees who had fled Rwanda to Congo. Preziosi was the most senior UNHCR official in the country and was on a mission to discourage Tutsi refugees from collaborating with Congolese rebels, in the hope of improving their treatment from local authorities. Both men were being driven by George Yogolero, a Congolese driver.

Family life Plicque was married with two children. His wife had been evacuated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Bujumbura in Burundi just before his death.

Aftermath United Nations Secretary-General U Thant expressed outrage about the murders. which were found with wedding rings on their fingers.