At least one police officer was killed on Monday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after clashes erupted between security forces and protesters who were demanding that President Joseph Kabila steps down this year, Reuters reports.
The country’s electoral authority earlier this month announced that an election could not be conducted before April 2019.
The vote to replace Kabila was initially scheduled for November 2016, but failed to be conducted after the body said it was unable to do so due to logistical challenges.
President Kabila’s failure to step down sparked protests across the country, leading to clashes with security forces.
Opposition leaders have accused him of frustrating the elections in order to cling on to power.
Activist groups in the eastern Congo city of Goma had called for a general strike on Monday to protest against the election delay.
Reuters reports that unrest broke out by 5 a.m. (0700 GMT) between police and protesters, who barricaded roads and burnt tires, said Thomas D‘Acquin, head of an activist group in North Kivu province.
It goes on to report that the provincial police commander, Placide Nyembo, said he did not yet have information on casualties but that police were removing the barricades and had the situation under control.
“We know who is behind this: politicians who work anonymously, distributing tracts and messages on the internet,” Nyembo is quoted to say.
