Conflicting reports over number of people killed following Monday protests in DRC
The Democratic Republic of Congo government says at least 17 people have been killed during protests calling for President Joseph Kabila.
Opposition groups however have stated that more than 50 people were killed in Monday clashes between protesters and security forces in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa with one witness saying police fired live ammunition into the crowd.
Three of the dead were police officers, one of whom was burnt alive, according to the Interior Minister, Evariste Boshab.
Protesters set up barricades and torched cars on one of the main roads in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.
“The coalition (of opposition groups) deplores the number of victims, more than 50 dead at this point, victims of the firing of real bullets by the police and the republican guard,” the opposition said in a statement.
The bodies of people who had died were seen lying in the streets after protests ended.
The rally, which the authorities cancelled, had been called to demand the resignation of President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. The opposition says Mr Kabila is trying to delay the elections in order to remain in power beyond his two-term limit, which finishes in December.
Police have made at least 10 arrests, with hundreds of protesters out on the streets, BBC reported.
The Monday clashes were the worst violence in the capital since January 2015 when a police crackdown on another opposition protest left several dozen people dead. Most schools and shops are closed in Kinshasa, with those not involved in the protests staying inside to avoid any trouble.
A government-backed effort to work out a solution to the political crisis, called a “national dialogue”, has been boycotted by most opposition parties.
Mr Kabila’s second term, the maximum allowed under the country’s constitution, is due to expire on 20 December.
