At least 5 killed in DR Congo protest crackdown

At least five people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, the UN said, as the authorities cracked down on a banned protest against President Joseph Kabila.

Witnesses said security forces fired live rounds and tear gas in Kinshasa to disperse demonstrators who gathered after Catholic Church leaders called for a mass peaceful demonstration against Kabila's 17-year rule.

In all, the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO said at least five people were killed in Kinshasa and 33 others injured nationwide, while 69 people were arrested.

A 16-year-old girl died after shots were fired from an armored vehicle at the entrance to a church in the Kitambo area of the capital, Jean-Baptise Sondji, a former minister and government opponent, told AFP.

Sunday's bloody crackdown comes three weeks after a similar march on New Year's Eve ended in deadly violence, during which organizers said a dozen people were killed.

"An armored car passed in front of the church. They began firing live bullets, I protected myself," Sondji, who is also a doctor, said by telephone.

"A girl who was at the left side door of the church was hit by a bullet," he said, adding that she was already dead when she was taken by taxi to hospital.

Tensions were also reported by AFP journalists in the major cities of Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Goma, Beni and Mbuji Mayi.

The internet, email and social media messaging networks were cut in the capital ahead of the march, as security forces installed roadblocks on major routes and armed officers conducted ID checks.

The church had called for rallies around the country despite a government ban on all demonstrations since September 2016, when anti-Kabila protests turned violent.

The head of the Muslim community, Cheikh Ali Mwinyi M'Kuu had urged the authorities on Saturday to allow the march to take place.

"If they decide to repress, there will be no peace. But if they let the march take place, they will respect the constitution and peace will prevail."

The previous anti-Kabila march, on December 31, descended into a bloody crackdown after police and security forces opened fire on demonstrators.

Protest organizers said 12 people were killed, while the United Nations reported at least five dead. The authorities said no deaths that day were linked to the demonstration.

The country's powerful Catholic Church, one of the few institutions to nationally enjoy broad credibility, condemned what it called "barbarism" and the UN and France sounded their concern over the death toll.

SS