Security forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have ignored intensifying international pressure to halt a wave of repression aimed at preventing any further protests against the government of President Joseph Kabila.



Police, paramilitaries and soldiers rounded up demonstrators and opposition activists across the vast central African country on Wednesday despite calls from the US, Britain, the European Union and the United Nations for authorities and security forces to respect human rights.

In a strongly worded statement, the US government said Kabila and local security forces had an “obligation to … respect the rights of Congolese citizens to assemble peacefully and express their opinions without fear of retaliation, retribution, or arbitrary arrest.”

But at least 20 activists from LUCHA, a campaign group calling for reform and political change in the DRC, were arrested in Goma when they gathered in front of government offices to call for Kabila to resign.

In Kinshasa the Guardian saw a military truck full of youths apparently under arrest being driven through the city centre, and in the south-eastern mining hub of Lubumbashi local activists said security forces had suppressed a protest, leaving 10 dead and more than 31 injured.

Kabila’s second five-year term in office expired on Monday night. The 45-year-old former guerrilla has said he will respect the constitution, which bars him from standing for a third term, but many fear he intends to remain in power indefinitely.

Supporters of Kabila say logistical and financial issues mean a fresh election cannot take place until 2018, and it is the president’s duty to remain in power in the interim.

Though sporadic gunfire was heard early in the day, normal life appeared to be returning to the Kinshasa on Wednesday, with some shops opening after almost three days of shutdown. There remained a heavy security presence on the streets, however, with hundreds of police and armoured vehicles deployed to key sites.

There is no reliable count of the people detained over recent days, but estimates vary from the 275 admitted by police to more than 600. Col Pierre Mwanamputu, a police spokesman, said 116 people were still being detained.

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Human rights groups and the UN say they have evidence that between 19 and 26 people were killed on Tuesday during scattered clashes in the capital, Kinshasa, and in Lubumbashi on Monday night and Tuesday. Nearly 50 people were wounded, they say.

The protests started at midnight on Monday with a chorus of whistles, klaxons and banging of cooking pots, and intensified over the next 12 hours as protesters burned tyres and set up makeshift barricades that were cleared by security forces using live ammunition and teargas.

The US and European powers had already imposed travel bans and asset freezes on individuals close to Kabila. Most are senior security officials accused of human rights abuses. They include the commander of military forces alleged to have been involved in the deaths of more than 60 people when troops opened fire on an opposition demonstration in September.

The US said it was “unfortunate that … security forces responded to this expression of democratic sentiment with teargas, arrests, and warning shots. We remain ready to impose additional sanctions on those – whether government or opposition – who perpetrate violence or impede DRC’s democratic institutions.”

Tobias Ellwood, the UK’s minister for Africa and the Middle East, said he was appalled by the violence in the DRC and “deeply disappointed” with the electoral delay.



“The key to a sustainable solution remains for the government to deliver on their promises to the Congolese people,” he said. “The government must urgently set a date for timely elections to prevent the situation from escalating further.”

Belgium, the former colonial power, said on Tuesday that it would re-examine its relations with Kabila’s government, and France called on the European Union to do the same.

“We need to be clear. There comes a time when if nothing happens, then Europe must reconsider the level of relations with this country. We can’t continue to pretend as if nothing is happening,” said Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister.

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The sporadic nature of the protests – and the apparent success of heavy-handed police tactics – is likely to be seen as a victory for the government and will not encourage any concessions.

Though western diplomats say sanctions may force Kabila and his close associates to reconsider their options, there is little sign that the pressure has had anything more than a marginal effect. Observers say regional powers are likely to have more leverage.

Talks between a coalition of opposition parties and the government

moderated by the Catholic church restarted on Wednesday, though the chances of any deal appeared slim.

Government officials have repeatedly accused international critics,

including the US and the UK, of interfering and having a “neo-colonial attitude”.

Supporters of Kabila who organised flag-waving pro-government convoys in Kinshasa on Tuesday said the DRC should be free to choose its leaders. “It’s our country. It’s up to us to judge who we want in charge,” said Ali Warial, 33.