GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - An informant for

Congo's intelligence agency who was on trial for alleged

involvement in the murders of two U.N. investigators has died from
a long-term illness, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

Zaida Catalan, a Swede, and Michael Sharp, an American, were

killed in March 2017 while investigating an armed conflict in
Democratic Republic of Congo's Kasai region between government
forces and the Kamuina Nsapu militia.

Jose Tshibuabua was charged with murder after Reuters and Radio
France Internationale (RFI) revealed in December 2017 that he had
been working as an intelligence service informant at the same time
he and several family with ties to the militia met the investigators to
help them plan their fatal trip the next day.

Tshibuabua, who had missed several court hearings because of his

poor health, died in hospital on Monday from complications related
to AIDS, his lawyer, Trésor Kabangu, told Reuters.

"His death is not a surprise to the court, which made sure it heard
him and asked all necessary questions before his health
deteriorated," said Timothée Mukuntu, the top military prosecutor in
Congo.

Tshibuabua, 55, had denied involvement in the killing of the two

sanctions monitors, who had been investigating a conflict in which
the U.N. and human rights groups accused Congolese forces of
committing atrocities.
But the trial, which now involves more than two dozen defendants,
has dragged on for over two years and many questions remain
unanswered, including what role other state agents may have
played.

Another defendant in the trial died in prison last year and one other
escaped from jail in May and has not been recaptured.

(Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Aaron Ross/Mark

Heinrich)