Kinshasa (AFP) - A government crackdown on demonstrations against President Joseph Kabila in Democratic Republic of Congo has led to the killing of 47 people in just over a year, a UN report seen by AFP said Monday.

"Between 1 January 2017 and 31 January 2018, at least 47 people, including women and children, were killed by security services and defence forces in the context of demonstrations," the report states.

It added that there were indications Congolese security services had attempted to cover up the deaths by removing the bodies of victims and obstructing the work of national and international observers.

The report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN mission chief in DR Congo Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein as well as UN special representative for DRC Leila Zerrougui documents "killings and other serious human rights violations due to the use of excessive force by security services and defence forces" against protesters.

The UN condemned the "systematic suppression of demonstrations, including through the use of disproportionate force (which) is a serious breach of international human rights law and the laws of the DRC."

The world body called for "a meaningful, transparent and independent judicial investigation into these violations and other allegations", noting that security forces were seemingly able to act "with almost full impunity".

Zerrougui and Zeid urged the Kinshasa government to permit peaceful assembly and expression, warning repression would likely spark more unrest and "could pose a threat to the electoral process."

Public protests have mounted over months after Kabila refused to leave office when his term expired in December 2016.

Three demonstrations since the new year have left at least 17 dead.

The influential Catholic Church brokered an accord under which Kabila could remain in power if elections were jeld last year but the deal fell through.

The Church wants Kabila to stand aside in a presidential vote now slated for December 23.

"For credible elections to be held at the end of this year, the government has an obligation to ensure that people’s civil and political rights are respected and their exercise is facilitated," the report concluded.

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Opposition lawmaker Gerard Mulumba, arrested in November, was meanwhile handed an 18-month jail term Monday for "insulting" Kabila, his defence counsel Leon Ngombwa said, vowing to appeal.</s>DAKAR (Reuters) - The United Nations condemned an “unlawful and unjustified” crackdown by Congolese security forces on anti-government protests that killed at least 47 people between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2018, a report said on Monday.

The UN report said that Congolese authorities used lethal force on protesters and attempted to cover up rights abuses by hiding dead bodies after protests calling for President Joseph Kabila to arrange long delayed elections.</s>The United Nations on Monday condemned Congolese security forces for killing at least 47 people, including women and children, in "unlawful and

 unjustified" crackdowns on protests during 2017 and early this

 year.

 

 Democratic Republic of Congo is facing growing public unrest since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down after his mandate expired at the end of December 2016, and after repeated delays to an election meant to replace him.

 

 Security forces shot dead at least six people and wounded dozens others during an anti-Kabila protest organized by the Catholic church in January this year. A similar incident in December 2017 left at least seven dead.

 

 A report U.N. Human Rights Office said that Congolese authorities used lethal force on protesters and attempted to cover up rights abuses by hiding dead bodies after protests calling for Kabila to arrange long delayed elections.

 

 "It is particularly disturbing that security services and defense forces carry out this violence with almost full impunity," said Special Representative of the U.N.

 Secretary-General in the DRC Leila Zerrougui in the report.

 

 Another two people were killed by security forces during church-led demonstrations against the government last month.

 

 Kabila has denied accusations of excessive force, rejecting charges against his security forces during a press conference in January.

 

 The opposition accuses him of pushing back the election date in order to cling to power. The polls, which were initially scheduled for November 2016, are now set to take place in December this year. But the electoral commission has since said they may not be possible until at least April 2019.</s>Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Bruno Tshibala, has confirmed that his boss will not be a candidate in elections slated for December this year.

In an interview on the BBC, Tshibala said Joseph Kabila was eager to handover power to whoever emerges winner of the elections.

He said Kabila respected the two-term constitutional limit and was committed to the electoral process.

“Our constitution limits the president to two mandates. There is no initiative to revise the constitution. This consitution limits the president’s mandate.

“I can confirm that the president will not run again. On the contrary, he is waiting for the elections to take place so that he can, for the first time in our country’s history, transfer power in a civilized and peaceful manner to the person who will be elected on 23rd December,” he added.

He becomes the second high-ranking government official to speak on Kabila’s political moves. In February 2018, Information Minister Lambert Mende also told Voice of America that Kabila was due to appoint a successor in July.

His final term expired in late 2016 but an earlier court ruling said he could stay in charge till when elections are next held. The Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) says the inability to organize polls was based on the lack of an updated register and insecurity in parts of the country.

Kabila came to power in 2001 after the assassination of his father Laurent Kabila. He has since won the last two elections organised in the resource – rich country, first in 2006 before his reelection for a final term in 2011.

He was expected to step down in 2016 but failed to do so with the reason that the prevailing conditions were not suitable for an election. The international community has pressed for elections to be held and for Kabila to step down.

A series of opposition protests have been clamped down by the police. Including a peaceful march by the Catholic Church. Police fired tear gas as protesters holding green leaves and arrested a number of priests and portesters.

Congo is Africa’s largest copper producer but ranks very low on the U.N. Human Development Index. Congo has not experienced a peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960. Dozens were killed last month in demonstrations in the capital, Kinshasa.</s>The number of active mobile phone lines in Africa most populous nation (Nigeria) rose to 146 million in January 2018, according to data published on the website of the National communication commission (NCC).

The figure represents a 1.5 percent increase of 2,731,273 lines, from the 144 million that was recorded in the preceding month (January 2018).

The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), however, had 217,566 users in January 2018 just as in December 2017.

Furthermore, the number of fixed wired/wireless shrunk 1.5 percent in January 2018 to 137,262, as against the 139,344 that was recorded in December 2017, showing a decrease of 2.082 lines.

According to the report, the number of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) was 76,371 in January 2018 compared to 70,926 in December 2017, showing an increase of 5, 445.

The teledensity, which records the number of telephone connections for every 100 individuals living within an area, increased by 160 to 105.21 from the 103.61 recorded in December 2017.

Further analysis of the Data showed that the number of connected mobile lines in January 2018 increased to 237,755,757, compared to 236,927,497 in December 2017, an increase of 828,260

The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) for connected lines for January 2018 was 3,586,095, the same figure with December, 2017.

Data also showed that the number of fixed wired/wireless for connected lines in January 2018 was 345,195 compared to 346,107 in December 2017, showing a decrease of 912 lines.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) for connected lines in January 2018 was 523,298 while December 2017 was 472, 844, showing an increase of 50,454.</s>The UN on Monday described as “unlawful and unjustified” a crackdown by Congolese security forces on anti-government protests that killed at least 47 people between January 2017 and January 2018.

The UN in a report said that the Congolese authorities used lethal force on protesters and attempted to cover up rights abuses by hiding dead bodies after protests calling for President Joseph Kabila to arrange long delayed elections.

NAN reports that in February, the U.S. issued sanctions targeting four military and militia leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo for engaging in “destabilising activity” that has prolonged the conflict in that country.

The U.S. Treasury Department said those sanctioned included Muhindo Mundos, a general in the armed forces accused of a brutal crackdown on civilians in his sector.

Senior rebels from three different militant groups also were sanctioned: Gedeon Mutanga, Guidon Mwissa and Lucien Nzabamwita, the Treasury said in a statement.

The U.S. action came days after the UN Security Council blacklisted the men for “planning, directing, or committing acts in the DRC that constitute human rights violations or abuses or violations of international humanitarian law.”

A series of opposition protests have been clamped down by the police.

The most recent being a peaceful march by the Catholic Church. Police fired tear gas as protesters holding green leaves and arrested a number of priests and protesters.

Congo is Africa’s largest copper producer but ranks very low on the UN Human Development Index. Congo has not experienced a peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960.

Dozens have been killed in anti-Kabila demonstrations in the capital, Kinshasa and other parts of the country.
The United Nations reports that from January 2017 to January 2018 a total of 47 people were killed in protests against Congolese President Joseph Kabila.