An opposition supporter was killed on Tuesday in clashes with police that erupted after his party’s leader formalized his bid to run against Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila in a November election.
The man’s death, announced by medics and confirmed by the government, came when police dispersed Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) supporters demonstrating after the overnight sacking of their party headquarters.
“We have received the body of a man killed by a bullet and two seriously wounded by bullets who are undergoing operations,” the source at Bondeko Clinic said, asking not to be named.
Journalists were able to see the body of the victim, who was 30 years old, according to a member of his family.
Congolese Interior Minister Adolphe Lumanu simply spoke of “scuffles which unfortunately led to a man’s death.”
“Police began to fire tear gas grenades to disperse young militants who arrived on hearing that the headquarters of the party had been vandalized,” lawyer Serge Mayamba, who is party secretary, said at the scene.
According to police and party sources, the headquarters of the UDPS was attacked and partly burned during the night after party leader Etienne Tshisekedi handed in his candidacy for the Nov. 28 presidential election.
Mayamba said he had also heard “shots with live ammunition” during the protest.
“There was no reason to disperse these youths, who were not doing anything,” he added.
However, Carbone Benibeya, spokesman of the UDPS Youth League, said that those shot were probably fired on by violent delinquents known as pombas and not by police, who use non-lethal weaponry.
“The young man was killed by one of the armed pombas who was behind the police lines. The pombas came out in front of the police when they fired the tear gas grenades,” he said.
Chief of police General Jean de Dieu Oleko had no comment to make on the incident, except to say that the Rapid Intervention Police unit, responsible for maintaining order, “was doing its job.”
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