KINSHASA (Reuters) - At least three people were killed when Congolese security forces fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse a protest against President Joseph Kabila organized by the Catholic church on Sunday, a local watchdog said.

Seventeen other people were wounded, it said.

A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitary troops fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air outside the Notre Dame cathedral in the capital Kinshasa. At least six people were lightly wounded when they were struck with flying tear gas canisters, he said.

Anger has been building against Kabila since he refused to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016, triggering street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa, and emboldening a plethora of armed rebel groups upcountry.

This has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.

"I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights," protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.

Georges Kapiamba, president of Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) put the initial toll at three dead and 17 seriously wounded. A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The violence echoed that of New Year's Eve, when Congolese forces killed at least seven people in the capital during a protest by Catholic activists..

Under a deal mediated between the Catholic church and Kabila's opponents, the president was to step down at the end of last year, paving the way for an election early this year. But he reneged on the deal and the poll has been repeatedly delayed -- it is currently loosely scheduled for the end of 2018.

The Roman Catholic Church has since emerged as a harness for opposition to Kabila's efforts to stay in power with no mandate, while his political opposition remains feeble and fragmented.

Kabila, who has been president his father was killed in office in 2001, blames the electoral delays on the logistics of voter registration.</s>KINSHASA (Reuters) - At least three people were killed when Congolese security forces fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse a protest against President Joseph Kabila organized by the Catholic church on Sunday, a local watchdog said.

Seventeen other people were wounded, it said.

A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitary troops fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air outside the Notre Dame cathedral in the capital Kinshasa. At least six people were lightly wounded when they were struck with flying tear gas canisters, he said.

Anger has been building against Kabila since he refused to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016, triggering street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa, and emboldening a plethora of armed rebel groups upcountry.

This has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.

“I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights,” protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.

Georges Kapiamba, president of Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) put the initial toll at three dead and 17 seriously wounded. A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The violence echoed that of New Year’s Eve, when Congolese forces killed at least seven people in the capital during a protest by Catholic activists..

Under a deal mediated between the Catholic church and Kabila’s opponents, the president was to step down at the end of last year, paving the way for an election early this year. But he reneged on the deal and the poll has been repeatedly delayed -- it is currently loosely scheduled for the end of 2018.

The Roman Catholic Church has since emerged as a harness for opposition to Kabila’s efforts to stay in power with no mandate, while his political opposition remains feeble and fragmented.

Kabila, who has been president his father was killed in office in 2001, blames the electoral delays on the logistics of voter registration.</s>KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congolese security forces shot dead at least six people and wounded dozens more as they fired tear gas to disperse a protest against President Joseph Kabila organized by the Catholic Church on Sunday, a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country said.

Riot policemen fire teargas canisters to disperse demonstrators during a protest organised by Catholic activists in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo January 21, 2018. REUTERS/Kenny Katombe

Kabila’s refusal to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016 has triggered a series of street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa. It has also emboldened armed rebel groups in different parts of the country.

A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitary troops fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air on Sunday outside the Notre Dame cathedral in the capital Kinshasa.

Florence Marchal, spokeswoman for the U.N. mission (MONUSCO), also said 57 people were wounded and dozens of arrests had been made across the country. As well as Kinshasa, protests erupted in the central Congolese diamond-mining town of Mbuji-Mayi, in the eastern cities of Goma, Lubumbashi and several other places.

A police spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

The instability has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.

“I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights,” protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.

“Kabila has done his two terms. He should leave now and give a chance to someone else”.

“WE WILL USE FORCE”

The chief of police for Kinshasa city, General Sylvano Kasongo Kitenge, had warned in a statement overnight that the protest was banned and that “no attempt to disturb public order will be tolerated anywhere in Kinshasa.”

Kasongo, surrounded by several armed police, visited the road leading to Notre Dame where a protest was happening.

“Mass is over, the priests should now go home, and everybody else should go home. If you refuse, we will use force and shoot tear gas, let that be very clear,” he told them.

The violence echoed that of New Year’s Eve, when Congolese forces killed at least seven people in the capital during a protest by Catholic activists..

Under a deal mediated by the church between Kabila and his opponents, the president was to step down at the end of last year, paving the way for an election early this year. But he reneged on the deal and the poll has been repeatedly delayed — it is currently loosely scheduled for the end of 2018.

Diplomats from the United States, British and Swiss embassies had all put out statements encouraging the Congolese to march to pressure Kabila to respect the deal.

“We applaud Congolese citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble peacefully in support of the full implementation of the (agreement),” the U.S. and British embassies said in a joint statement. “Those who do not protect these rights must be held accountable.”

Slideshow (7 Images)

Congo’s influential Roman Catholic Church has emerged as a harness for opposition to Kabila, while his political opposition remains feeble and fragmented.

“I ask the authorities ... and all in this beloved country to put their best effort toward avoiding ... violence,” Pope Francis said of Congo’s crisis while in Peru on Sunday.

Kabila, who has been president since his father was killed in office in 2001, blames the electoral delays on the logistics of voter registration.</s>KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congolese security forces shot dead at least five people and fired tear gas to disperse a banned protest against President Joseph Kabila organized by the Catholic church on Sunday, a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country said.

Kabila’s refusal to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016 has triggered a series of street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa. It has also emboldened armed rebel groups in different parts of the country.

A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitary troops fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air on Sunday outside the Notre Dame cathedral in the capital Kinshasa.

Florence Marchal, spokesman for the U.N. mission (MONUSCO), also said 33 people were wounded and that 49 arrests had been made across the country. As well as Kinshasa, protests erupted in the central Congolese diamond-mining town of Mbuji-Mayi.

“We haven’t yet established the nature or cause of the injuries,” Marchal added. A police spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

The instability has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.

“I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights,” protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.

“Kabila has done his two terms. He should leave now and give a chance to someone else”.

The chief of police for Kinshasa city General Sylvano Kasongo Kitenge had warned in a statement overnight that the protest was banned and that “no attempt to disturb public order will be tolerated anywhere in Kinshasa.”

Kasongo, surrounded by several armed police, visited the road leading to Notre Dame where a protest was happening, ordering everyone to go home, a Reuters witness saw.

“Mass is over, the priests should now go home, and everybody else should go home. If you refuse, we will use force and shoot tear gas, let that be very clear,” he told them.

The violence echoed that of New Year’s Eve, when Congolese forces killed at least seven people in the capital during a protest by Catholic activists..

Under a deal mediated between the church and Kabila’s opponents, the president was to step down at the end of last year, paving the way for an election early this year. But he reneged on the deal and the poll has been repeatedly delayed -- it is currently loosely scheduled for the end of 2018.

Diplomats, including the United States, British and Swiss embassies had all put out statements encouraging the Congolese to march to pressure Kabila to respect the deal.

“We applaud Congolese citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble peacefully in support of the full implementation of the [agreement],” the U.S. and British embassies said in a joint statement. “Those who do not protect these rights must be held accountable.”

The Roman Catholic Church has emerged as a harness for opposition to Kabila’s efforts to stay in power with no mandate, while his political opposition remains feeble and fragmented.

Kabila, who has been president his father was killed in office in 2001, blames the electoral delays on the logistics of voter registration.</s>KINSHASA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - At least three people were killed when Congolese security forces fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse a protest against President Joseph Kabila organised by the Catholic church on Sunday, a local watchdog said.

Seventeen other people were wounded, it said.

A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitary troops fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air outside the Notre Dame cathedral in the capital Kinshasa. At least six people were lightly wounded when they were struck with flying tear gas canisters, he said.

Anger has been building against Kabila since he refused to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016, triggering street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa, and emboldening a plethora of armed rebel groups upcountry.

This has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.

"I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights," protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.

Georges Kapiamba, president of Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) put the initial toll at three dead and 17 seriously wounded. A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The violence echoed that of New Year's Eve, when Congolese forces killed at least seven people in the capital during a protest by Catholic activists..

Under a deal mediated between the Catholic church and Kabila's opponents, the president was to step down at the end of last year, paving the way for an election early this year. But he reneged on the deal and the poll has been repeatedly delayed -- it is currently loosely scheduled for the end of 2018.

The Roman Catholic Church has since emerged as a harness for opposition to Kabila's efforts to stay in power with no mandate, while his political opposition remains feeble and fragmented. Kabila, who has been president his father was killed in office in 2001, blames the electoral delays on the logistics of voter registration. (Reporting by Amedee Mwarabu; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)</s>Demonstrators chant slogans during a protest against President Joseph Kabila, organized by the Catholic church in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo January 21, 2018. Photo: Reuters

Paris - France on Monday blamed Congolese security forces for the shooting dead of at least six people and wounding of dozens during a protest against President Joseph Kabila organised by the Catholic Church.

“France strongly condemns the violence perpetrated by the security forces during the demonstrations organised on Sunday,” a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.

Kabila’s refusal to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016 has triggered a series of street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa.

It has also emboldened armed rebel groups in different parts of the country.

In the statement, France called for the proportionate use of force in the maintenance of law and order.

The instability has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.

UN mission in the Congo said six people were killed during the protests, 73 wounded and 115 people arrested.

Congolese police said that two people had been killed and a number of police officers wounded.

There was a heavy police presence on the streets of the capital with security forces firing teargas at demonstrators after the protest was banned by the authorities and the government blocked access to the internet.

The central African country’s powerful Catholic Church was instrumental in organising the protests and has been a voice of opposition to Kabila.

Several people were also killed in New Year’s Eve protests organised by the church.

Kabila has promised to hold elections in December.</s>Centraal in ons cookiebeleid staat respect voor uw privacy. Via de link "Meer informatie" onderaan verneemt u welke cookies we gebruiken en kan u specifiek instellen voor welke doeleinden u cookies aanvaardt.

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BITES EUROPE NV, met maatschappelijke zetel te 1800 Vilvoorde, Medialaan 1, ondernemingsnummer 0466.252.967, Tel.: 02/255.32.11, E-mail: privacy@dpgmedia.be Mocht U nog vragen of opmerkingen hebben, contacteer ons dan op privacy@dpgmedia.be U kan met het voorgestelde gebruik instemmen door hieronder op "Verder naar website" te klikken. Bijkomende informatie over de instellingen kan u vinden door op "Instellingen" te klikken.</s>KINSHASA. – At least three people were killed when Congolese security forces fired teargas and live bullets to disperse a protest against President Joseph Kabila organised by the Catholic Church yesterday, a local watchdog said.

Seventeen other people were wounded, it said. A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitary troops fire volleys of teargas and shoot into the air outside the Notre Dame cathedral in the capital Kinshasa. At least six people were lightly wounded when they were struck with flying tear-gas canisters, he said.

Anger has been building against President Kabila since he refused to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016, triggering street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa, and emboldening a plethora of armed rebel groups upcountry. This has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed thousands in the 1990s.

“I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights,” protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa. Georges Kapiamba, president of Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ), put the initial toll at three dead and 17 seriously wounded. A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The violence echoed that of New Year’s Eve, when Congolese forces killed at least seven people in the capital during a protest by Catholic activists. Under a deal mediated between the Catholic church and Kabila’s opponents, the president was to step down at the end of last year, paving the way for an election early this year. But he reneged on the deal and the poll has been repeatedly delayed – it is currently loosely scheduled for the end of 2018.

The Roman Catholic Church has since emerged as a harness for opposition to Kabila’s efforts to stay in power with no mandate, while his political opposition remains feeble and fragmented. Kabila, who has been president since his father was killed in office in 2001, blames the electoral delays on the logistics of voter registration. In another development, the authorities in the DR Comgo allegedly blocked the Internet in Kinshasa and set up roadblocks throughout the city ahead of planned protests yesterday demanding that President Kabila leave power.

Meanwhile, the head of the Muslim community in DRC has backed the church, urging the authorities to allow the march to take place despite no official permission being granted.

“I ask the authorities to avoid repressing the march,” Cheikh Ali Mwinyi M’Kuu, legal representative of the Muslim community, told AFP on Saturday.

“If they decide to repress, there will be no peace. But if they let the march take place, they will respect the constitution and peace will prevail.”

The previous anti-Kabila march, on December 31, descended into a bloody crackdown after police and security forces opened fire on demonstrators. Protest organisers said 12 people were killed, while the United Nations reported at least five dead. The authorities said no deaths that day were linked to the demonstration.

The country’s powerful Catholic Church, one of the few institutions to nationally enjoy broad credibility, condemned what it called “barbarism” and the UN and France sounded their concern over the death toll.

The church has been joined by a group of eight intellectuals in calling for the march to be peaceful. The so-called “secular committee of coordination” has called on people to march after mass “with our peace branches, our Bibles, our rosaries, our crucifixes, to save the Congo”. Arrest warrants were issued against at least five members of the committee, a magistrate told AFP, prompting them to go into hiding.

“We’re scared. I’m just like everyone else, I’m scared. I’m terrified for my children, who have been alone since December 28,” said Kandolo, a member of the group in Kinshasa.

The committee has called for the release of political prisoners, to allow the return of exiled political opponents and, above all, a guarantee that Kabila will stand down and not seek a third term. President Kabila’s constitutional term in office expired in December 2016, but he stayed on — a move that stoked a bloody spiral of violence. Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office provided new elections were held in 2017.

The authorities later said organisational problems meant that the vote would be held on December 23, 2018 — a postponement that has angered Western nations, but one that they have reluctantly accepted. – Reuters/AFP</s>At least five people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the UN, as authorities cracked down on banned protests against President Joseph Kabila.

Witnesses told news agencies that security forces on Sunday fired live rounds and tear gas in the capital, Kinshasa, to disperse demonstrators demanding an end to Kabila’s 17-year rule.

The Catholic church had called for rallies around the country, despite a government ban on all demonstrations since September 2016, when anti-Kabila protests turned violent.

MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission, said at least five people were killed on Sunday in Kinshasa and 33 others injured nationwide. Dozens of people were also reportedly arrested.

“I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights,” protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters news agency where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.

A 16-year-old girl died after shots were fired from an armoured vehicle at the entrance to a church in the Kitambo area of the capital, Jean-Baptise Sondji, a former minister and government opponent, told AFP news agency.

A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitaries fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air outside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Kinshasa. At least six people were lightly wounded when they were struck by flying tear gas canisters, he told Reuters.

The latest round of anti-government protests on December 31, 2017 turned deadly, with protest organisers saying a dozen people were killed after taking to the streets to demand that Kabila step down.

“A lot of people are very frustrated with the political situation in the country and they’re looking more to the church for guidance and leadership,” Al Jazeera correspondent Catherine Soi said.

In office since 2001, Kabila’s constitutional term ended in December 2016, but he stayed on.

Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office, provided new elections were held in 2017.

“That did not happen, the deal has expired, that’s why the Catholic Church leadership is so angry,” Soi said.

“[Catholic Church leadership are] saying they’re going to continue calling on their faithful to come out in peaceful protests, demanding for electoral justice, demanding for politicians to respect the constitution and also for president Joseph Kabila to peacefully step down.”

DRC authorities have said a vote would be held on December 23, 2018. But analysts, as well as Kabila’s opponents, accuse him of wanting to stay in power.

Michael Tshibangu, a UK-based political analyst and president of the Association for Development and Democracy in Congo, said in early January the swift and forceful repression of December’s protests showed “how determined [Kabila] is to stay in power.

“Everything we’re seeing today shows that the DRC is going backwards. Kabila is in the process of establishing a dictatorship,” Tshibangu told Al Jazeera.

The flare-up in violence has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich DRC could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.</s>France on Monday blamed Congolese security forces for the shooting dead of at least six people and wounding of dozens during a protest against President Joseph Kabila organised by the Catholic Church.

PARIS: France on Monday blamed Congolese security forces for the shooting dead of at least six people and wounding of dozens during a protest against President Joseph Kabila organised by the Catholic Church.

"France strongly condemns the violence perpetrated by the security forces during the demonstrations organised on 21 January 2018," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.

"It reiterates its call for respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, starting with the right to protest."

Kabila's refusal to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016 has triggered a series of street protests in which scores have been killed in Kinshasa. It has also emboldened armed rebel groups in different parts of the country.

In the statement, France called for the proportionate use of force in the maintenance of law and order.

The instability has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.
The Kabila government begins blocking internet access in the capital Kinshasa at midnight, after a Catholic lay group's call to march today, in defiance of a government ban on public demonstrations. A joint statement was released by the American and British embassies on Twitter the day prior, applauding "Congolese citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble peacefully in support of the full implementation" of the Sylvester agreements of December 2016. The statement also said that those who do not protect these fundamental human rights must be held accountable "at the highest level".