Floribert Bwana Chui bin Kositi

Floribert Bwana Chui bin Kositi (13 Jun 1981- 7 Jul 2007) was a Congolese civil servant, customs officer and committed member of the community of Sant'Egidio, who was assassinated for refusing to allow spoiled food and bribes to enter the country. Described as a martyr "of honesty and moral integrity" by the Catholic Church, he was beatified on June 15, 2025.

Coming from a wealthy background, Floribert Bwana Chui studied law and economics. He began his professional life in Kinshasa as a complaints commissioner at the Congolese Control Office (OCC), a body of the national customs and goods control authority where it was responsible for assessing the conformity of products crossing the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was then transferred to Goma as head of the OCC office. A practicing Catholic, catechist from an early age, it was during his student life that Floribert Bwana Chui joined the community of Sant'Egidio, where he became a committed member, particularly in assisting street children.

In his work of customs control, Floribert Chui is confronted with the moral problem of authorizing the entry into Congo-Kinshasa of foodstuffs from neighbouring Rwanda, which had not obtained the competent authorizations for their marketing and consumption. He repeatedly refused offers of "dirty money" linked to illicit transactions. He considered it immoral to let tons of spoiled and toxic foodstuffs pass through to the population in exchange for a few thousand dollars. He had destroyed expired batches of rice and refused bribes. His relatives and colleagues report that he often said: "Do I live for Christ or not? That's why I can't accept. Better to die than to accept this money". Despite threats to his life and intimidation, Chui preferred to die by refusing to smuggle food that could have poisoned a large number of people. Aged 26, he was kidnapped and then killed on the night of 7/8 July 2007, after being tortured by his captors. Monsignor Faustin Ngabu said "he died because of his honesty. He is someone who has been able to maintain his freedom in an extremely difficult situation. What he experienced was a strong manifestation of his Christian faith.".

In February 2023, on the occasion of his visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pope Francis speaks at length about Floribert Chui during his address to Congolese youth and catechists. Emphasizing his resilience and fervour to his audience, the pontiff considered that he "did not let himself be defeated by Evil", but that he had "defeated Evil with Good"

He was solemnly beatified on June 15, 2025 in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls during a Mass presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro on behalf of Pope Leo XIV..