About 19 protesters killed in DR Congo’s capital: UN

At least 19 protesters have been killed in recent clashes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, amid growing tensions over the refusal of President Joseph Kabila to quit after the expiration of his term in office.

According to a UN provisional toll on Wednesday, at least 45 demonstrators have also been injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces since Tuesday.

Reports of the death toll are different.

Human Rights Watch said security forces had killed at least 26 demonstrators in the capital and arrested scores of others.

The government said nine people had been killed in Kinshasa.

On Tuesday, the director of the UN mission in the DR Congo, Maman Sambo Sidikou, said his office had documented 113 arrests of opposition leaders and civil society activists, human rights campaigners and journalists by police and intelligence authorities since December 16.

Fears are growing about the eruption of new violence across the country.

On Wednesday, Germany's foreign office confirmed that Berlin had indefinitely postponed talks on development aid to the DR Congo against the backdrop of President Kabila's staying in power.

SS