Officials of the United Nations have confirmed that four people died from Monday’s clashes between protesters and security forces in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UN’s Joint Office for Human Rights said on Tuesday that 15 others also sustained injuries during the clashes.
On Monday the protesters staged a demonstration demanding for the departure of the President, Joseph Kabila.
The clashes occurred when the police attempted containing protesters who had barricaded roads and burned tires.
UN officials have now been deployed to monitor the situation in North Kivu province, with security officials arresting at least 37 people for the protest.
President Kabila has refused to step down although his tenure has expired. He has also been accused of frustrating efforts at holding new elections which he is barred from participating, in what his critics say are attempts to hold on to power.
The country’s electoral commission has now said that elections can only take place in April 2019, an announcement that has heightened fear with continuous violence in parts of the country.
The UN has condemned “all forms of violence and calls for the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and demonstration.”
Source: Africafeeds.com
