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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Congo-Kinshasa: Up to 20 Dead Following Anti-Government Protests in DR Congo |
| 2016-09-21 |
| [All Africa] Government sources say that 14 civilians and three coppers were killed during anti-Kabila protests in Kinshasa Monday. Three more bodies were found Tuesday morning in the burned-out offices of a main opposition Party. The charred remains of three people were visible on Tuesday morning inside the headquarters of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), one of the main opposition parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material... (DRC). The office was set on fire overnight following a day of violent protests against President Joseph Kabila, a witness said. On Monday, Interior Minister Evariste Boshab reported that "14 civilians involved in looting" and three coppers were killed and one of the coppers was "burned alive." A coalition of opposition groups put the number of dead at more than 50. "The coalition deplores the number of victims, more than 50 dead at this point, victims of the firing of real bullets by the police and the elite republican guard," the group said in a statement. News videos from the scene show protestors clashing with security forces and at least one protestor being carried away after gun shots are heard. The heavy festivities erupted in the capital ahead of a planned mass opposition rally. The protesters were marching against President Joseph Kabila's perceived bid to extend his mandate. There has been growing local and international pressure on Kabila to step down when his term legally ends in December. Opposition supporters have accused the sitting president of wanting to extend his rule by not holding elections originally scheduled for November as required by the constitution. His supporters deny this charge. Georges Kapiamba, director of the local NGO - Congolese Association for Access to Justice - said that demonstrations also took place in other parts of the country, including Goma, Bukavu, and Beni. Dozens of people died in similar protests against Kabila last year. "I have seen offices of President Kabila's party as well as offices of other political parties allied to the president's coalition burnt down," said Patrice Chitera, DW's correspondent in Kinshasa. |
| Posted by:Fred |