The opposition coalition’s demonstration in the Democratic Republic of Congo saw a violent start in the capital Kinshasa on Monday where over 50 people died in clashes, the opposition veteran Etienne Tshisekedi said.
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“We are seeing what we can do to reduce the political tensions and bring those responsible for deaths to justice”, he told AFP. The electoral commission said it can not formalize the voter list before July 2017, despite a constitutional provision that the date must be set three months before Kabila’s term ends in December, according to the Associated Press.
Kabila is due to step down from the presidency on 19 December, but it is widely thought he intends to remain in power past this deadline.
More than 44 people have been killed in Congo in two days of street clashes between security forces and protesters against a delayed presidential election, a senior Human Rights Watch researcher said Tuesday, and several opposition party buildings were burned.
The capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is in a state of chaos as deadly clashes between police and political protesters continue, claiming dozens of lives.
The interior minister said 17 people were killed – three policemen and 14 civilians.
Opposition parties put the number at 53, while activists say 25 protesters were shot.
The national secretary of the main opposition group blamed a “commando” unit from the regime for torching the opposition headquarters buildings.
Congolese opposition protests in the streets of Kinshasa to push toward the exit of President Joseph Kabila, Kinshasa, DRC, September 19, 2016.
The protests erupted after the election commission made a decision to try to postpone the next presidential vote, due in November.
Congo has not had a peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.
Government spokesman Lambert Mende condemned the attack on the UDPS but denied security forces were involved.
His opponents fear he may follow the example of leaders in other African countries such as Burundi and Rwanda and change the constitution to extend his rule.
Adding to the mix of disapproval, Congo’s powerful Catholic church temporarily suspend its participation in talks between the government, some opposition parties and civil society groups over the election timetable, local media said.
But, Human Rights Watch says it has received “credible reports” that security forces have killed at least 37 people since the protests began.
It is not the first time the government of Joseph Kabila has been involved in violence against protesters.
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Congo is Africa’s top copper producer but many Congolese people have yet to benefit from the country’s mineral wealth.
