At least three people died during a protest by hundreds of demonstrators in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital against the coronavirus lockdown closure of the city’s main market, according to officials and witnesses.
The police said they fired warning shots to disperse the crowd that had gathered at the site on Tuesday to demand the reopening of the Kinshasa market, AFP reporters stated.
Several demonstrators said at least one person was killed by gunfire.
According to a spokesman for the Kinshasa provincial government, two people were electrocuted while another was crushed to death by the fleeing crowd after “trouble by people pretending to be trade unionists” from the market.
“We deplore the deaths of three people,” the spokesman, Charles Mbuta Muntu, said following a meeting to discuss the unrest.
“Those responsible for these riots have been arrested” for having violated state of emergency measures imposed to combat the virus.
The protestors had stood their ground behind barriers that have since early April cut off the Gombe area housing market as part of the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
They hurled insults at Kinshasa’s governor, Gentiny Ngobila, calling him a ‘thief.’
Belise Okonda, a governorate spokesperson, denied rumours the market was being knocked down.
In a letter seen by AFP, Interior Minister Gilbert Kankonde ordered Ngobila to reopen the market.
However, the governor first wants work undertaken by the city authorities to improve health and sanitation at the market.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered 90 deaths from the new coronavirus from 4,359 cases, including 3,864 in Kinshasa.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi ordered the state of emergency on March 24, which has been extended several times by a vote in parliament.
Borders, schools, places of worship, bars and restaurants are all closed and gatherings of more than 20 people banned as per the measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus.
