50 Killed In Anti-Government Protests In Congo

MEP: Up to 50 people have been killed in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo during protests on Monday against President Joseph Kabila turned violent.

The government has however put the death toll at 17.

“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,” it said in a statement.

It was the worst violence in Kinshasa since January 2015 when a police crackdown on another opposition protest left several dozen people dead.

Demonstrators were to demand the resignation of President Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. Opponents fear he is planning to extend his rule unconstitutionally.

The group also called on people to gather on Tuesday “to keep up without hesitation the demands made on Monday.”

NGOs and the opposition have accused police of using tear gas to disperse demonstrators before opening fire with live ammunition. As the situation escalated, protestors burned cars and set up barricades in the streets.

Police officers also fell victim to the violence, with Reuters reporting that one was set on fire by an angry mob in retaliation for the shooting. The attack was later confirmed by Interior Minister Evariste Boshab.