Cops clamp down on DRC protest

2005-06-30 14:28

Kinshasa - Police broke up opposition supporters who tried to gather for a protest march on Thursday against delays in moving Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) towards democracy, police sources and witnesses said.

A witness said at least one person was injured and several arrested when police charged 100 supporters of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in the Ngafalu district of Kinshasa.

In the Bandalungwa district a similar-sized group was dispersed with teargas.

The mainly young protestors had gathered with white flags and signs calling for an end to the transition period and the departure of President Joseph Kabila and his four vice-presidents.

Elsewhere the city was calm with most businesses closed for a public holiday marking the 45th anniversary of the vast Central African country's independence from Belgium.

Opposing delays in political transition

Nearly 5 000 police were deployed across Kinshasa as military helicopters flew at low altitude over the city of six million people.

The UDPS, led by veteran opposition politician Etienne Tshisekedi party opposes delays in a political transition process which, under a peace deal signed in 2003, provided for general elections on June 30 2005.

The same day a transitional government made up of leaders of the former government and armed groups which fought a five-year war that dragged in neighbouring countries would step down.

But with unrest and tension persisting, parliament earlier this month extended that date until the end of the year after the electoral commission said it was physically incapable of organising voter registration in time.

The period is expected to be extended for a further six months, until June 30 next year, as allowed in the peace agreement signed between the government and the warring factions in Sun City, South Africa.

Plea for a peaceful march

Tshisekedi, who has continued to demand the end of all transition institutions, called on followers to march peacefully in Kinshasha on Friday.

In the central city of Mbuji-Mayi, a UDPS stronghold, mayor Jean Tshimanga said police had fired in the air to disperse party militants who tried to block the main streets.

At the same time, two inmates of the local prison were killed and several injured when police foiled an attempted jail-break, the mayor added.

The capital of Kasai Oriental province has seen a number of clashes between security forces and the UDPS in the past two months in which six people were killed.

In a televised speech late on Wednesday to mark the independence anniversary, the president warned against the UDPS march, saying, "The duty of remembrance forbids the sons and daughters of this country to profane for whatever reason this glorious and ineradicable date in our history."

He pledged the period of transition would be ended and the people given the chance to choose freely who should govern them.

- AFP